GOP Frustration With RFK Jr. Grows as Senators Confront Health Secretary Over Vaccine Cuts and CDC Firing

Republican senators Bill Cassidy, John Barrasso, and Thom Tillis press Kennedy on his leadership, vaccine policies, and the controversial dismissal of CDC Director Susan Monarez.

WASHINGTON, D.C. | Republican support for Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is showing signs of strain, as a trio of influential GOP senators voiced growing discontent with his leadership during a tense Senate Finance Committee hearing this week.

While many Republicans initially defended Kennedy after his appointment, cracks are emerging following his decision to cut $500 million in mRNA vaccine research funding, restrict access to COVID-19 shots, and dismiss CDC Director Susan Monarez after only a month on the job.

Republican Criticism Mounts

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who has frequently sparred with Kennedy since voting for his confirmation, was joined by Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), the Senate’s second-ranking Republican, and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) in questioning Kennedy’s approach.

“In your confirmation hearings, you promised to uphold the highest standards for vaccines,” Barrasso said. “Since then, I’ve grown deeply concerned.”

Tillis emphasized that COVID-19 vaccine development was one of former President Donald Trump’s signature achievements, and Cassidy went further, suggesting Trump deserved a Nobel Prize for Operation Warp Speed. Both senators pointed out Kennedy’s past remarks disparaging the vaccines as the “deadliest ever made,” as well as his recent actions making them harder for healthy young people to obtain without a prescription.

Kennedy defended his record, disputing claims that he had restricted access. But senators said his explanations failed to resolve glaring contradictions.

Trump’s Complicated Vaccine Legacy

The hearing spotlighted a deeper tension within the GOP: Trump’s ambivalence toward vaccines. While he once celebrated them as a “medical miracle,” Trump recently posted on Truth Social demanding Moderna and Pfizer “prove the shots worked.” Vaccine makers, including Novavax, quickly issued statements reaffirming the safety and efficacy of their products.

Still, when Kennedy dismissed Monarez last week, Trump backed him, having a White House staffer personally deliver the firing notice. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt doubled down, saying Monarez didn’t align with Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) vision.

Senate GOP Pushback

That rationale failed to satisfy some Senate Republicans. Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) warned that Kennedy would face “hard questions,” stressing the effort senators invested in confirming Monarez. Tillis echoed the frustration:

“I don’t see how you go over four weeks from a public health expert with unimpeachable credentials … to suddenly firing her,” Tillis said.

As discontent spreads, Kennedy’s ability to hold Republican confidence — and manage the administration’s fragile relationship with Congress — is being tested. The clash underscores the ongoing political fault lines over COVID-19 policy, public health leadership, and Trump’s legacy heading into 2026.

======

-- By James W. Thomas, Jessica Perry, Lakisha Brown, and Bronwyn Stone

© 2025 JWT Communications. All rights reserved. This article may not be republished, rebroadcast, rewritten, or distributed in any form without prior written permission.