While sparring with hecklers in the audience, whom he accused of being lobbyists, Means accused Burns and the media at large of ignoring a chronic disease epidemic among American children and said Kennedy’s focus is on solving that issue, starting with understanding “what’s in our food.” But he didn’t provide answers as to how Kennedy plans to get that work done with a drastically reduced workforce, including at least 3,500 dismissed Food and Drug Administration (FDA) employees.

Means said cutting “indirect costs” would allow HHS to send more money to researchers, although some research funding on chronic disease has already been cut. That same day, a coalition of researchers filed a lawsuit against the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is part of HHS, challenging cancellations of research grants.

He also mentioned Kennedy’s commitment to “radical transparency,” specifically citing the White House MAHA Commission. However, the commission’s first meeting and a followup meeting with MAHA supporters in March were both closed to the press. In addition, this week’s HHS cuts reportedly included the entire FDA communications team and staff that work on Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

Meanwhile, around the corner on Capitol Hill, lawmakers in both chambers asked Kennedy to provide more details on the layoffs and restructuring. Representative Brett Guthrie (R-Kentucky) said HHS staff will brief the House Energy and Commerce Committee next week, while Senator Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) invited Kennedy to appear in front of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Cassidy was initially skeptical of Kennedy’s nomination to lead the department but ultimately voted to confirm him. (Link to this post.)