Democrats primarily railed against Kennedy’s downsizing of the agency by 20,000 employees. They also highlighted recent cuts to NIH research as well as health programs for coal miners and 9/11 first responders, which Kennedy has since reversed. But they rarely let him fully answer a question.

When he did respond, he repeatedly said HHS was simply going back to pre-COVID staffing levels. (The Biden administration significantly increased staff at HHS, but the current cuts take staffing back to a much lower level, one not seen since the George W. Bush administration.) He also said he couldn’t answer specific questions about layoffs or the department’s reorganization due to the lawsuit brought by 19 states challenging the legality of those actions, but said “there were no working scientists fired,” which contradicts previous reporting. (A top processed foods researcher also resigned, citing the fact that “unbiased science” became impossible at the agency.)

Kennedy’s comments on the refocusing of NIH and FDA priorities were significant, though, given those agencies’ typical mandates, but he exaggerated HHS’ moves so far. “Twenty years the Democrats have said, ‘We need to revise the GRAS standards.’ I’ve done it in 100 days,” he said. “We’re getting rid of nine petroleum-based, synthetic dyes in our food. Twenty years the Democrats have been saying we want to do this, and I’ve done that in 100 days.” Kennedy directed the FDA to look into changing the GRAS process, but no definitive action has been taken; Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) is working on a bill that could help the process along. On food dyes, Kennedy’s current plan depends on getting food companies to voluntarily remove them. (Link to this post.)