Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. got into a heated debate with Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., during a hearing on Capitol Hill Wednesday after the senator accused Kennedy and the Trump administration of delaying critical cancer care for one of her constituents named Natalie.
Kennedy told Murray he wanted to do “everything” in his power to help her constituent, telling the senator repeatedly to contact his office to go over the individual’s case. But his answers were not adequate for the senator, leading Kennedy to eventually question whether the Washington state Democrat actually cared about her constituent, Natalie.
“Mr. Secretary, one of my constituents — her name is Natalie Phelps — she’s a mom of two from Bainbridge Island in Washington state. She has been fighting aggressive stage four colorectal cancer for nearly five years now. Her best hope now is a clinical trial she’s participating in at the [National Institutes of Health’s] Clinical Center,” Murray said in her opening line of questioning directed at Kennedy.
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“But because of the thoughtless mass firing of thousands of critical employees across NIH and HHS that you carried out, Natalie’s doctors at that clinical center have told her they have no choice but to delay her treatment by an additional four weeks.”
Murray added that those four weeks of delayed care “could mean the difference between life and death” for Natalie. She also demanded Kennedy give a “specific” number of how many employees have been cut at NIH’s clinical center.
“I can’t tell you that now, Sen. Murray,” Kennedy responded. “What I can tell you is that if you contact my office tomorrow, I’ll look specifically into that.”
However, that answer from Kennedy was “not acceptable” to the senator.
“That is not acceptable. I want an answer,” Murray shot back, eventually demanding Kennedy provide her an update on Natalie’s case within 24 hours.
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“Wouldn’t you rather get her into that clinical trial as fast as you can?” Kennedy shot back.
“Absolutely,” Murray said.
“All right, so if you contact my office tomorrow, this is a …,” Kennedy said before Murray cut him off.
“Natalie is sitting there waiting for treatment, you’re here to …” Murray said before Kennedy interjected to remind her he was trying to help with Natalie’s circumstances.
“I’m offering to help here, but you don’t care. You don’t care about Natalie,” Kennedy told Murray, noting during the hearing he wanted do “everything in [his] power to try to get Natalie into [the clinical trial quicker.]”
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The spat ended with Murray pivoting to a different question tied to the Trump administration’s cuts, which Kennedy spent much of Wednesday on Capitol Hill fielding questions about. Kennedy also participated in a separate House hearing Wednesday that covered the matter and other issues HHS faces.
Kennedy told lawmakers he didn’t know of any agency head who wants to see budgets slashed, but he pointed out he is not the president, who, Kennedy said, has a “broader vision” than he does when it comes to spending priorities.
“We must spend smarter,” Kennedy said Wednesday in response to inquiries about the Trump administration’s cuts at HHS. “We will shift funding away from bureaucracy toward direct impact.”
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