LEXINGTON, Ky. — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended his record and the Trump administration’s proposed budget cuts during a contentious House hearing Thursday, but faced withering criticism from Democrats who questioned his priorities, including a viral promotion al video featuring him shirtless in a hot tub with musician Kid Rock. At a House Ways and Means Committee hearing, Kennedy acknowledged his unhappiness with proposed cuts to food assistance programs like WIC and SNAP, even as he argued the nation’s $39 trillion debt necessitates difficult fiscal decisions. “Am I happy about the cuts? No, I’m not happy about the cuts,” Kennedy said. The hearing centered on competing visions of federal priorities. The Trump administration’s budget request proposes increasing defense spending by more than half a trillion dollars—a 43 percent boost—while cutting domestic spending by 10 percent. HHS would face a proposed $15.8 billion reduction, or 12.5 percent of its current budget. California Democratic Rep. Linda Sánchez drew the most pointed criticism of Kennedy’s leadership by displaying a photograph of Kennedy and Kid Rock during their February workout video promotion, which featured the two men drinking whole milk while shirtless in an indoor hot tub. “Now, one thing that I find incredible is that you suspended this pro-vaccine messaging campaign. But somehow you’re spending taxpayer dollars to drink milk shirtless in a hot tub with Kid Rock,” Sánchez said. The HHS promotional video sparked widespread mockery on social media when released in February. Kennedy wore jeans throughout the video, even while swimming, prompting comparisons to fictional characters and raising questions about the message being conveyed to Americans. Democrats pressed Kennedy on measles outbreaks that have surged under his watch. Last year the U.S. recorded more than 2,200 measles cases and could surpass that this year with more than 1,700 infections already recorded. When asked if a measles vaccine could have prevented a child’s death in Texas, Kennedy replied: “It’s possible, certainly.” Kennedy repeatedly declined to answer whether President Trump approved the CDC’s decision to end pro-vaccine public messaging campaigns, even as Rep. Sánchez pressed the question multiple times. The administration has also sought to curtail childhood vaccine schedule recommendations, though courts have blocked those efforts. Lawmakers also questioned Kennedy about nutrition programs. Wisconsin Democratic Rep. Gwen Moore challenged Kennedy’s goal of promoting healthy eating while supporting cuts to SNAP and WIC, noting that affordable processed foods like cereal are cheaper than healthy alternatives for low-income families. Kennedy responded that he had consolidated 42 maternal health services and was “investing huge amounts of money in maternal health.” Illinois Democratic Rep. Danny K. Davis criticized the administration’s approach to Black maternal health, citing administration cuts to Medicaid programs and research projects. Medicaid pays for over 40 percent of births in the United States. Kennedy is scheduled to appear before additional House committees in the coming days. Budget Director Russ Vought testified earlier this week that the administration expects to request additional defense spending for the war in Iran but could not estimate the cost. This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Kentucky Lantern, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://kentuckylantern.com/2026/04/16/repub/shirtless-in-a-hot-tub-with-kid-rock-democrats-in-congress-question-rfk-jr-priorities/. The post RFK Jr. faces sharp criticism over HHS priorities and spending cuts appeared first on The Lexington Times. ...read more read less