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Vice President JD Vance shot back at senators who clashed with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at a hearing before the Senate Finance Committee Thursday, saying they are "full of s--- and everyone knows it."
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., pressed Kennedy during the hearing, accusing him of endangering children with reckless decisions and conspiracy-driven policies, adding that he believed Kennedy had "no regrets" about a "fundamentally cruel" agenda.
Kennedy countered by noting Wyden’s decades in office while chronic disease rates climbed to 76%.
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies during the Senate Finance Committee hearing on "The President's 2026 Health Care Agenda" in the Dirksen Senate Office Building Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
"When I see all these senators trying to lecture and ‘gotcha’ Bobby Kennedy today all I can think is: You all support off-label, untested, and irreversible hormonal ‘therapies’ for children, mutilating our kids and enriching big pharma," Vance wrote in an X post. "You're full of s--- and everyone knows it."
Secretary Kennedy reposted the Vice President, writing "Thank you @JDVance. You put your finger squarely on the preeminent problem."
RFK JR DENIES TELLING FORMER CDC DIRECTOR TO APPROVE VACCINE RECOMMENDATIONS
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. arrives to testify before the Senate Finance Committee at the Dirksen Senate Office Building Sept. 4, 2025, in Washington, D.C. The committee met to hear testimony on President Trump's 2026 health care agenda. (Andrew Harnik )
Other White House voices chimed in to support Secretary Kennedy after the fiery hearing. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote, "Secretary @RobertKennedyJr is taking flak because he's over the target. The Trump Administration is addressing root causes of chronic disease, embracing transparency in government, and championing gold-standard science. Only the Democrats could attack that commonsense effort."
"Democrats are getting absolutely TORCHED by @SecKennedy," wrote Deputy White House chief of staff Taylor Budowich. "They seem uninterested in health or human services, just parrots of a failed medical orthodoxy that has made America less healthy. Great hearing and preparation by the Sec."
The exchange came a day after more than 1,000 current and former HHS employees called for Kennedy’s resignation.
At the hearing, Wyden accused Kennedy of elevating conspiracy theories and mismanaging federal health agencies, saying his tenure has been defined by "chaos" and "corruption" benefiting himself and President Donald Trump and rising health costs for families.
He also accused Kennedy of "taking vaccines away from Americans" and threatening doctors who deviated from his guidelines.
HHS SECRETARY ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. TO FACE SENATE PANEL AFTER CDC TURMOIL
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. arrives to testify before the Senate Finance Committee at the Dirksen Senate Office Building Sept. 4, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik )
Kennedy touted his department’s work, saying it has been "the busiest, most proactive administration in HHS history."
In six months, he said, HHS has tackled issues ranging from food and baby formula contamination to drinking water safety, drug prices, e-cigarettes, heroin at gas stations and prior authorization delays.
"We're ending gain of function research, child mutilation and reducing animal testing," Kennedy said. "We are addressing cellphone use in schools, excessive screen time for youth, lack of nutrition education in our medical schools, sickle cell anemia, hepatitis C, the East Palestine chemical spill and many, many others. At FDA, we are now on track to approve more drugs this year than at any time in history."
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Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, Vance and Wyden did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.
Fox News Digital's Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
Alexandra Koch is a Fox News Digital journalist who covers breaking news, with a focus on high-impact events that shape national conversation.
She has covered major national crises, including the L.A. wildfires, Potomac and Hudson River aviation disasters, Boulder terror attack, and Texas Hill Country floods.
