RFK Jr. won’t commit to protecting Medicaid in Senate confirmation hearing
More than 72 million Americans receive health insurance through Medicaid.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. refused to say if he would support cuts to Medicaid funding during his Jan. 29 confirmation hearing to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (DHS).
If confirmed, Kennedy will oversee the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the agency that runs the government’s two largest health insurance programs.
Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) asked Kennedy twice if he would support Medicaid cuts. Kennedy said both times that he would work with President Donald Trump to make Medicaid “better,” but he did not rule out cuts or provide any further specifics.
Kennedy’s evasiveness comes as House Republicans are considering cutting $2.3 trillion from Medicaid to fund various Trump administration priorities, including deporting migrants and expanding tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans.’
On Jan. 28, Medicaid services were temporarily disrupted in several states when the Office of Budget and Management ordered a freeze of all federal grants. The White House later stated that Medicaid would be exempt from the freeze. The whole order was rescinded on Jan. 29 after public outcry.
More than 72 million low-income Americans receive health insurance through Medicaid. About 12 million of those individuals are also enrolled in Medicare.
In an exchange with Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Kennedy appeared to not know basic facts about Medicaid. He erroneously stated that Medicaid is fully funded by the federal government. It is actually financed through a combination of state and federal dollars.
“Most people who are on Medicaid are not happy,” Kennedy said in the same exchange. “The premiums are too high. The deductibles are too high.”
Most Medicaid recipients, however, do not pay premiums. A tracking poll from KFF found that at least 80% of Medicaid recipients rate their coverage positively as of Jan. 2025.
Kennedy is a lawyer and environmental activist. He ran for president in 2024, first as a Democrat and later as an independent.
Kennedy suspended his campaign in Aug. 2024 and endorsed Trump. Trump nominated Kennedy to lead DHS on Nov. 15.
Kennedy has been a lightning rod for controversy. He is a vocal proponent of vaccine skepticism and other fringe conspiracy theories. He has publicly admitted to infidelity and past heroin use.
On Jan. 28, Kennedy’s cousin, Caroline Kennedy, sent a letter to U.S. Senators urging them to oppose Kennedy’s nomination. She described Kennedy as a power hungry “predator.”
A Trump transition team spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment to this story.
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