Welch also demands vote on bill to claw back Republicans’ $5 billion handout to Big Pharma 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – During a Senate Finance Committee hearing today, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) delivered a scathing review of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s tenure as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), slamming the Secretary for using his position to undermine vaccines and dismantle the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Senator Welch also grilled Secretary Kennedy about failing to lower health care costs and highlighted the disastrous impact of President Trump’s so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act on our health care system.  

Senator Welch voted against Secretary Kennedy’s nomination in February and called for him to resign last week. 

“I believe the Secretary made assurances to this committee, and he has not kept the promises he made. Prices have not come down, they’ve gone up. He assured Senator Cassidy that he would not change the standards for vaccine review. Yet, since his confirmation, all 17 members of the vaccine advisory board have been fired by him. He has limited the use of the COVID-19 vaccine, and he has inexplicably canceled $500 million in vaccine research and funding,” said Senator Welch.   

“We have a constitutional responsibility to be a check and balance. And the fear of our founders was that there would be a concentration of power in one branch, and that would lead to catastrophic consequences for our country…We cannot cede power, and there are consequences: a crumbling health care center system, a deficit exploding, and our allies losing faith in us.” 

Senator Welch concluded his remarks by challenging Secretary Kennedy to back his legislation holding Big Pharma accountable. 

“I ask you to put your policy where your mouth is and join us in supporting that bill to restore price negotiation power so those pharma prices can come down from being the highest in the world to something within range of reason.”   

Watch Senator Welch’s full remarks below: 

Read Senator Welch’s full remarks as delivered. 

Following the hearing, Senator Welch and Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, demanded a vote on their legislation to repeal changes to Medicaid cost-sharing requirements and $5 billion handout to Big Pharma in the Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act. 

In speaking on the Senate floor, Senator Welch urged the Senate to pass the Repealing the Trump Sick Tax Act.  

“Secretary Kennedy and President Trump have championed a bill, the One Big Beautiful Bill—so called—that literally is a $5 billion bailout for Pharma by allowing them to get out of, or delay indefinitely, and maybe forever, the obligation to negotiate fair prices,” said Senator Welch. “That is wrong. There’s nothing beautiful about it except that it maintains a big, fat profit…I sincerely hope my colleagues will join me in helping pass this bill. Secretary Kennedy and President Trump said that their party wants to lower the price of drugs. I want to do that, and this bill would help us do that. And my goal—we should pass this with unanimous consent.” 

Senator Welch has been a staunch opponent of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s appointment to serve as HHS Secretary. Last night, Senator Welch also spoke on the Senate Floor and slammed Secretary Kennedy’s efforts to destroy democratic institutions and undermine the CDC. 

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