STORY: :: Kennedy touts new food policies, omits vaccine overhaul in remarks to Congress

:: Washington, D.C. / April 16, 2026

:: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., U.S. Health Secretary

"This year HHS and USDA issued new dietary guidelines that put real whole food at the center of the American plate. We flipped the food pyramid upside down and sent a clear message to the American people: eat real food. HHS has also opened the door to partnerships with industry, trade associations, nonprofits and advocacy organizations. More than 50 medical schools have committed to expand nutrition education from an average of just two hours to 40 hours."

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SANCHEZ: "Do you agree with the majority of doctors that the measles vaccine could have saved that child's life in Texas?"

KENNEDY: "It's possible, certainly."

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:: Rep. Linda Sanchez, (D) California

SANCHEZ: "My question is, did President Trump approve your decision to end CDC's pro-vaccine public messaging campaign?"

KENNEDY: "There's a global measles epidemic. We've done better in preventing it than any country in the world."

SANCHEZ: "There is no country that has seen a bigger percentage increase..."

KENNEDY: "That's not true. Mexico has three times our measles and they have one eighth of our population."

SANCHEZ: "Did President Trump approve your decision to end the CDC's pro-vaccine public message campaign?"

KENNEDY: "Canada has double the measles and they have one third...one eighth of our population."

SANCHEZ: "Did he approve that?"

The omission from Kennedy's remarks at the first of his two congressional hearings on Thursday is the latest sign that the nation's top health official is avoiding some of his most controversial positions ahead of November's midterm elections.

Two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters the White House recently urged health officials to redirect policy discussions toward more popular topics, as President Donald Trump and his Republican Party seek to shore up support for their slim majorities in Congress.

Kennedy, a longtime anti-vaccine activist, faced a setback last month after a court ruling derailed key elements of his efforts to rewrite U.S. vaccine policy.