Trending Now - RFK Jr. Stands by Vaccine Remarks in Congressional Hearing

WHO:

ABC News - Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared before the House Education and Workforce Committee.

ABC News - Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., questioned Kennedy during the hearing.

ABC News - Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Ga., asked Kennedy to apologize for his comments about autism.

ABC News - Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., questioned Kennedy about President Trump's mental fitness.

ABC News - Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wisc., discussed gender-affirming care for minors with Kennedy.

ABC News - Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., is the chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee.

WHAT:

ABC News - Kennedy defended his agency's policies and goals during a hearing on April 17th, 2026.

ABC News - Kennedy stated, "I've never been anti-vaccine," and emphasized the need for vaccines to be adequately safety tested.

ABC News - Two unvaccinated school-aged children died from measles in 2025, marking the first U.S. measles deaths in a decade.

ABC News - Kennedy claimed that the U.S. is limiting measles outbreaks better than any other country.

AP News - The U.S. is experiencing its biggest surge in measles cases since 1991, with vaccination rates falling from 95.2% in the 2019-20 school year to 92.5% in the 2024-25 school year.

ABC News - Kennedy stated that "We have ended all federal funding for those kinds of puberty blockers and gender mutilation surgeries."

WHERE:

ABC News - The hearing took place at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

ABC News - Covenant Children's Hospital in Lubbock treated at least one of the children who died from measles.

WHEN:

ABC News - The hearing occurred on April 17th, 2026.

ABC News - The two measles deaths occurred in 2025.

AP News - Kennedy's comments about measles outbreaks were made during the hearing on April 17th, 2026.

WHY:

ABC News - Lawmakers claim Kennedy's vaccine-skeptic rhetoric has contributed to an increase in measles cases.

AP News - Kennedy's leadership is being scrutinized due to declining vaccination rates and rising measles cases.

HOW:

ABC News - Kennedy defended his views by stating that vaccines should be adequately safety tested to understand their risks and benefits.

AP News - Kennedy's department proposed a budget cut of more than 12% during the hearing.

(UPDATED April 18, 2026 11:11 UTC)

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared before the House Education and Workforce Committee on Friday, where he defended his agency's policies amid scrutiny over rising measles cases and declining vaccination rates. During the hearing, Kennedy emphasized the importance of safety testing for vaccines and stated that he has never been anti-vaccine, while also addressing lawmakers' concerns about his comments on autism and President Trump's mental fitness. The hearing took place at the U.S. Capitol, and it follows the tragic deaths of two unvaccinated school-aged children from measles in 2025, marking the first U.S. measles deaths in a decade.