In a rare bi-partisan challenge to the Trump administration’s people and policy, voices were raised and tensions flared in a three-hour U.S. Senate hearing Thursday featuring U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
In addition to being challenged by Republican Sens. John Barrasso and Bill Cassidy, both physicians, over the recent firing of the director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and restrictions on the latest Covid-19 vaccine, New Mexico’s Sen. Ben Ray Luján sparred with Kennedy over the role of non-medical staff to review medical studies.
During a particularly tense moment when both Luján and Kennedy were speaking over each other, Kennedy fired at Luján, “You are speaking gibberish.”
Luján quipped back that perhaps he should slow down so the secretary could “understand me through my New Mexico accent.”
Watch the exchange from C-SPAN (the testy exchange over language occurs in the final minute).
After the testy exchange, Luján concluded his remarks with this observation: “I’m going to pray for you, Secretary Kennedy. I hope we do better. I want you to do better. But today was a failure for you, man.”
It wasn’t a failure for Kennedy. Lujan was asking Kennedy to provide data. Kennedy told him over and over the data was available to the public and Lujancould get it himself. Lujan wouldn’t listen. I have contacted lujan before when I needed help. No reply whatsoever. He is useless.
The data Senator Lujan asked for is not public. Kennedy was lying. Your personal problem with Lujan is coloring your ability to pay attention to what was really going on here.
You are right. He is useless. When I send him an email about some issue, he answers with self-aggrandizing statements that have little or nothing to do with the issue.
I’m talking about Lujan. Your website is as wonky as you are, putting replies where they don’t belong.
Lujan is a loser. Proven over and over again. A crap dealer is all he is.
Jr, you got that right.
As a health care provider with 30 years of clinical experience, I am not only terrified by this destruction of our public health infrastructure, but deeply embarrassed that this incompetent, belligerent wrecking ball was put in charge of HHS.
The C-SPAN video is not showing up here.
Lying to Congress has become too commonplace and as usual … and as RFK Jr. clearly knows…there’s no accountability and no consequences.
I couldn’t get the video to work, but I must say that people don’t say to those they don’t understand that they are “speaking gibberish”. Any school teacher would have flagged that if it happened in their classroom.
You failed to report the most interesting gibberish spoken by Lujan, which was him saying he was going to give Kennedy a star fish pin he was wearing on his lapel, but now he’s not going to give Kennedy the pin, because he didn’t feel he deserved it. Please tell Lujan that no one wants his stupid star fish pin! It WAS gibberish no matter how you decide to write it.
Lying before Congress has become so commonplace with Trump’s Department Heads that RFKJr. knows he can do so without consequence…so he does so freely.
Senator Luján is a very competent US Senator, proudly representing New Mexico, and RFK, Jr. is not even a physician. He has no business running a Department that needs a leader knowledgeable in medical terminology and scientific fact. He is one of those DEI hires who needs to experience a RIF (Reduction in Force). Trump was an idiot for nominating him in the first place. It was all political, and both of them (Trump and RFK, Jr.) are worthless.
I was more embarrassed by Lujan “performance” than RFK and I don’t like either one.
RFK Jr is a liar. The rot of this entire administration will be studied for decades.
It’s blatantly obvious that RFK is striking nerves on the money grabbing senators. RFK is the bright light in the blight that is Washington and the corrupt senators and congresspeople. Heinrich, OMG. Save us from his tender mercies.
All these people attacking Kennedy should tuck their corrupt tails between their corrupt legs and get the heck out of town. Too bad there are still so many blind people who believe every stinkin’ lie they’re told by the money-grubbing congress.
I’m sorry that happened to you, Matt. That should never happen even if you might have been looking for help from the wrong person.
I’m not accusing you of anything, I’m just saying that a lot of times people look for help from the wrong person. I needed help with a refund from the NM bureau of taxation. I contacted my local state representative. She immediately questioned why I was contacting her because many people, tragically, have no clue how our government works.
But either way, Lujan should have acknowledged your query, even if just with a standard letter or email. I find that very disappointing from any of our elected officials.