RFK Jr.’s Plans for Revamping the NIH Loom Large Over Congressional Hearing

Republican lawmakers questioned the public’s trust in the National Institutes of Health during the hearing.

The National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., on May 30, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has yet to gain Senate confirmation to become secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), but his plans to revamp the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other agencies were a widely discussed topic during a congressional hearing on Nov. 19.

President-elect Donald Trump nominated Kennedy to head the HHS, which includes the NIH, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among other agencies. Kennedy has said he will make substantial changes to agencies such as the NIH as HHS secretary.