Image source, Getty Images

Democratic Senator Mark Warner frequently raises his voice at RFK Jr, including when the health secretary says he does not know how many American died because of Covid-19.

Kennedy says, "I don't think anybody knows", when asked how many died of Covid in the US, going to accuse the Biden administration of "data chaos".

"Mr Chairman, [Kennedy] doesn't know how many Americans died from Covid, he doesn't know if the vaccine helped prevent any deaths, and you are sitting as Secretary as Health and Human Services - how can you be that ignorant?" Warner asks in a raised voice.

According to data from the CDC, external, which Kennedy oversees, 1,231,440 Americans have died of Covid-19 between 11 January 2020 and 23 August 2025.

We are looking into this data and will bring you more detailed information soon.

Senator Cassidy now says he is worried that many people RFK Jr has named to an influential vaccine advisory panel have previously served as paid witnesses in litigation against vaccine companies. He asks Secretary Kennedy if he believes that is a conflict of interest.

Kennedy says it's not a conflict of interest.

"It may be a bias but that bias if disclosed is okay. It is not a financial conflict of interest," he says.

Image source, Reuters

Senator Bill Cassidy, who is also a physician, is now questioning Kennedy. He says he is approaching the questioning as a doctor, not a politician.

The Republican says Trump deserved a Nobel Prize for overseeing Operation Warp Speed - the programme which oversaw the development of the Covid-19 vaccines in 2020, during Trump's first term.

Cassidy asks if Kennedy agrees with this assessment, and the secretary says he does agree, before Cassidy interrupts him to say that doesn't seem to be the case, because Cassidy argues Kennedy has attempted to restrict access to the Covid-19 vaccine.

The questioning turns tense as the two talk over each other.

"Is this a question... or is this a speech you don't want me to answer?" Kennedy responds.

Cassidy ends his questioning by sharing concerns from several of his constituents, including doctors and patients who say they are having trouble accessing Covid-19 booster shots because of conflicting recommendations from health agencies.

"Effectively, we are denying people vaccines," Cassidy says.

"You're wrong," Kennedy responds.

We're watching a heated exchange between Democratic Senator Michael Bennet and Kennedy.

He begins by touching on the June firing of every panel member charged with recommending vaccines to the CDC. Bennet asks whether he has heard claims made by Dr Robert Malone - one of RFK's new appointees to the panel - that the mRNA Covid vaccine could lead to Aids and damage children's hearts and brains.

"Dr Malone is one of the inventors of the mRNA vaccine," Kennedy says.

After some back and forth, Bennett asserts: "That does not answer my question, and that statement (about mRNA vaccines causing Aids) is not true."

Bennet then asks about Kennedy's plan to change the vaccine schedule, and whether that will lead to fewer children having access.

Bennet talks over Kennedy saying, saying "this is not a podcast, it is the American people's health that is on the line here".

The two engage in a heated argument, and Kennedy says Bennet is evading questions around the dangers of the mRNA vaccine.

"I am asking the questions, Mr Kennedy," Bennet says raising his voice.

Senator John Cornyn, a Republican, asks RFK Jr if he believes the Covid-19 pandemic was politicised in the US.

Kennedy says "the whole process was politicised. We were lied to about everything." He says his job now is "eliminate the politics from science."

As a reminder, Donald Trump, who has appointed Kennedy to his current position, was in his first term as president in 2020, when the pandemic began and when the first Covid vaccines were developed.

With Democratic ranking member Ron Wyden questioning Kennedy, the hearing has turned tense.

Wyden raises critiques from many doctors and public health experts who say his changes could damage the American public health system for years to come.

The two frequently talk over each other as they argue.

"The scientists and doctors supporting me all over the country," Kennedy claims.

Kennedy tells Wyden he is only listening to a "select" group of health experts who criticise his views, and Wyden responds by telling the health secretary he is putting American children in "harm's way" and says conspiracy theories are dictating his policies.

Kennedy claims that the US is "the sickest country in the world", and say he had to "fire some people" at the CDC to make sure that changes.

Democratic Senator Ron Wyden talks about former CDC director Susan Monarez's op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal this morning, where she writes that she was RFK Jr told her during a meeting "to preapprove the recommendations of a vaccine advisory panel newly filled with people who have publicly expressed antivaccine rhetoric".

Wyden asks: Did you do tell Dr Monarez to go along with vaccine recommendations, even if she didn't think they aligned with scientific evidence?

"No I did not," Kennedy says, adding that he never had a private meeting with Monarez.

"So she's lying today to the American people and the Wall Street Journal?" Wyden counters.

"Yes, sir," RFK claims.

We will let you know if Monarez responds to this accusation.

RFK Jr next addresses what he calls "shake ups" at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He says changes were "absolutely necessary" at the agency, and that the CDC "failed miserably during Covid".

"And that is why we need bold, competent, and creative new leadership at CDC," he says.

As a reminder, the CDC director Susan Monarez was fired last week after less than a month in office, and several senior staffers resigned in protest.

Monarez wrote in the Wall Street Journal , externalthis morning that she faced "pressure to compromise science itself" in her final days at the health agency.

We're now hearing from Kennedy, who is going over the administration's priorities, including tackling chronic disease - a campaign pledge of Kennedy's.

He blames ultra processed foods and lack of physical activity, among other reasons, for chronic diseases in children.

As he gives his speech on his actions as health secretary, a person in the public gallery starts to yell out, appearing to say "you're killing millions of people".

It's unclear exactly what their protests were about before they are taken out.

Crapo says the police will take out anyone else who interrupts.

More now from Democrat Senator Wyden, who says RFK has lied to the Senate Committee before, and that he lied to him about his approach to vaccines.

He requests the committee to "formally swear in Robert Kennedy as a witness" - that is, to ask him to take an oath to tell the truth.

The Chairman, Senator Crapo, rejects his request.

Wyden responds, saying the Committee's refusal to formally swear in the health secretary is "basically a message that it is acceptable to lie to the Senate Finance Committee about hugely important questions like vaccines. I think that's a great mistake."

Oregon US Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat, is now speaking - and he makes his feelings pretty clear.

The US is "in the midst of a health care calamity", Wyden says.

He says RFK Jr has "elevated conspiracy theorists" and "crackpots" in his short tenure as health secretary. He says RFK's priority is to take vaccines away from Americans.

RFK's tenure has seen three things: chaos, corruption and higher health costs for families, Wyden adds.

"Robert Kennedy puts children in harm's way every single day in America," Wyden says.

The hearing has begun, with Republican chairman Mike Crapo giving an opening speech, noting that each committee member gets five minutes each for questions for Kennedy.

Crapo is outlining some of the topics for the day.

He says the Trump administration has worked to reduce health care fraud, among other priorities, and says he looks forward to "Making America Healthy Again" - Kennedy's Trump-inspired slogan.

Robert F Kennedy Jr is about to testify at a US Senate committee hearing.

Click watch live at the top of this page to follow along, and we will bring you text updates with all the major moments.

RFK insisted he wasn't anti-vaccine - but his actions suggest he may bepublished at 14:59 British Summer Time 4 September

14:59 BST 4 September

Nomia Iqbal
North America correspondent

At RFK’s confirmation hearing back in February, he insisted he wasn’t anti-vaccine.

Fast forward to today - and the radical changes he's made since becoming America’s top health official - suggest he may be.

He has fired the head of the CDC, removed top government vaccine experts and ended research on some life-saving vaccines.

At the hearing today, expect Democrats to lay into Kennedy in an attempt to prove they were right for being suspicious of him. Republicans meanwhile will be torn.

There are plenty who are part of the MAHA (Make America Health Again) movement which is sceptical about vaccines. But there are others who back decades of proven scientific research. And polls suggest most Americans trust vaccines too.

Keep an eye on Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy – he’s a doctor. But notably he secured RFK’s confirmation after saying he gave him assurances that his anti-vaccine past would not make its way into any policy-making if he got the job.

But more politics. Cassidy is facing a primary in his 2026 re-election bid – will he want to show loyalty to President Trump or to his medical profession?

Image source, Reuters

One of the first in line to enter the public gallery for today's Senate hearing is Dr Troy Jacobs, a Washington-area pediatrician.

A prominent ''FIRE RFK'' sticker is on his lab coat.

Madeline Halpert
US Reporter

This morning's Senate Finance Committee hearing is likely to bring tough questions for Kennedy.

Many Democrats opposed his nomination, in large part because of his views on vaccines, and have continued to speak out against him.

But a growing number of Republicans also seem to be frustrated with the health secretary.

"I need to know why... his words in his confirmation hearing aren't matching up with some of the deeds," Republican committee member Thom Tillis told reporters on Wednesday.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune told Semafor that Kennedy would face "hard questions" at the hearing regarding his ousting of the CDC director.

Another member of the finance committee, Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, a doctor, had doubts before giving his key vote to confirm Kennedy as health secretary.

He has questioned several of Kennedy's moves - including his firing of all members of an independent vaccine committee.

Madeline Halpert
US Reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Kennedy's appearance before the finance committee comes after a week of turmoil at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which Kennedy oversees as health secretary.

Kennedy permanently fired 600 employees at the CDC, finalising mass layoffs he announced in April, which resulted in lawsuits against the government.

Kennedy said the changes were aimed at reducing "bureaucratic sprawl" and refocusing the agency on "reversing the chronic disease epidemic", a key priority of his.

The week become even more chaotic after Kennedy announced he was firing the head of the CDC, Susan Monarez - reportedly because she refused to commit to firing career agency officials and backing his advisers if they recommended limiting vaccine access.

Four top CDC officials resigned in protest over Monarez's ousting.

Madeline Halpert
US Reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Since taking the helm at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in February, Kennedy has made a number of moves that have alarmed health experts and caused chaos at health agencies.

A vaccine sceptic, Kennedy has attempted to remake how the federal government regulates and recommends immunisations.

He fired every member of a panel of independent vaccine experts that issues recommendations for the shots, and replaced them with people who are more sceptical of vaccines.

He has attempted to narrow recommendations for who should get Covid-19 vaccines, excluding healthy children and pregnant women.

As an outbreak of measles became the worst in the US in decades, he continued to spread misinformation about the safety of the measles vaccine.

Recently, hundreds of HHS employees wrote a letter to Kennedy, accusing him of contributing to the harassment of health workers after a gunman fired 500 rounds at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta last month.

They said the misinformation he has spread has helped sow mistrust in public health officials.

Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) is the mantra of Robert F Kennedy Jr, and he is about to face the Senate for a barrage of questions on how exactly he plans to enact his vision.

RFK Jr's tenure as President Donald Trump's Secretary of Health and Human Services has been drama-filled.

The vaccine sceptic has made a number of changes to vaccine policies at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - and last week the CDC director was abruptly fired, causing several senior experts to leave in protest.

RFK's MAHA movement involves some ideas that have been popular with Americans - for example, he wants healthier diets for children and to eliminate ultra-processed foods.

But other ideas from RFK Jr have faced harsh criticism from health experts.

We're expecting today's hearing to be fiery, so click watch live at the top of this page and follow along.