Robert F. Kennedy Jr., U.S. President Trump’s nominee to be secretary of Health and Human Services, testifies before a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., Jan. 30, 2025.Â
Nathan Howard | Reuters
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, appeared to be unfamiliar with fundamental elements of the Medicare and Medicaid programs Thursday during his second Senate confirmation hearing.Â
“You want us to confirm you to be in charge of Medicare, but it appears that you don’t know the basics of this program,” said Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, after Kennedy struggled to answer a series of questions about Medicare before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.Â
If confirmed, Kennedy will lead a $1.7 trillion agency that oversees a slew of federal health…
