House Democrats on the Energy and Commerce committee are demanding a hearing with Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Robert F Kennedy Jr. about the massive layoffs happening at his agency.
But so far, GOP leadership has committed to a staff-level briefing only, according to a spokesperson for Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.).
Health subcommittee ranking member Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) in a statement Thursday said a staff briefing isn’t enough.
“A briefing is the bare minimum that Secretary Kennedy can offer, but instead, he would reportedly send staff rather than do it himself. While a staff briefing is better than nothing, it has not been scheduled, and there is no assurance that it will be bipartisan,” DeGette said.
Guthrie’s spokesperson said the briefing will be bipartisan.
The move from Democrats followed an invitation to Kennedy from Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and ranking member Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
Cassidy and Sanders asked Kennedy to testify at an April 10 hearing about the HHS reorganization effort after 10,000 employees across all sectors of the agency were fired on Tuesday. It’s unclear if Kennedy has accepted, and HHS did not comment when asked.
On Wednesday, DeGette and full committee ranking member Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) sent a letter to Guthrie asking for a hearing so Congress can conduct its appropriate oversight.
“We believe this is of utmost importance and request you hold a hearing immediately with Secretary Kennedy to give him the opportunity to explain his plan to Congress, which holds the sole authority to undertake such a vast reorganization of HHS,” they wrote.
The Democrats cited Guthrie’s own words of support for congressional oversight during an unrelated hearing earlier that day.
“We have to have the proper oversight to make sure the things that Congress directs the administration is in place,” Guthrie said, though he did not commit to holding a hearing.
