KEY MOMENTS: In Back-to-Back Nomination Hearings, Luján Presses RFK Jr. and Howard Lutnick on their Commitment to Working for the American People

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Finance and the Senate Committee on Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, pressed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Howard Lutnick in their respective nomination hearings on their commitment to preserving programs that provide critical services for New Mexicans. Senator Luján pressed both nominees on their commitment to upholding the law and serving the American people – not being a rubber stamp for the President.

In the nomination hearing for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to become Secretary of Health and Human Services, Senator Luján questioned Mr. Kennedy on his understanding of the importance of Medicaid and pressed Mr. Kennedy for his commitment to protect Medicaid from cuts. Mr. Kennedy did not commit to not cutting Medicaid if asked to by the President.

In the nomination hearing for Howard Lutnick to become Secretary of Commerce, Senator Luján questioned Mr. Lutnick on whether he would commit to not cutting funding that has been awarded to connect thousands of New Mexicans to the internet. Despite Mr. Lutnick’s acknowledgement of the importance of broadband buildout, he would not commit to maintaining crucial support for broadband.  

Key Moments from the Nomination Hearing for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to become Secretary of Health and Human Services:

Watch the exchange with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. here.

On Medicare:

Sen. Luján: Do you know how many babies born in this country are covered through Medicaid?

Mr. Kennedy: I would guess, I don’t know the answer, I would guess about 30 million.

Sen. Luján: I have it Mr. Kennedy, about 41% or 1.4 million babies, births are financed by Medicaid according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

Sen. Luján: If President Trump asks you to cut Medicaid will you do it?

Mr. Kennedy: It’s not up to me to cut Medicaid, it’d be up to Congress.

Sen. Luján: Mr. Kennedy, if you don’t want to answer, I’ll move on.

On Native American Health:

Sen. Luján: What are you going to do when programs are eliminated to require the inclusion of Native Americans in clinical trials when it comes to life-saving medicine?

Mr. Kennedy: I’m going to do everything I can to make sure there are Native American trials.

Sen. Luján: Will you commit to finalizing the Congressionally mandated FDA guidance to increase clinical trial diversity?

Mr. Kennedy: Yes.

Sen. Luján: Will you commit to reinstating all of the pages that were eliminated and people that were fired from this administration that have this responsibility?

Mr. Kennedy, in part: I cannot commit to that.

On Autism Services:

Sen. Luján: I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record and article from Autism Speaks titled “Do Vaccines Cause Autism” and I’ll note that the first sentence states “Vaccines do not cause autism.”

Key Moments from the Nomination Hearing for Howard Lutnick to become Secretary of Commerce:

Watch the exchange with Howard Lutnick here.

Sen. Luján: If you’re asked to cut that program (broadband access) by the President of the United States, will you?

Mr. Lutnick: I work for him.

Sen. Luján: Is your response that if the president asks you to cut broadband infrastructure funding, you will do that? Is that what I just heard?

Mr. Lutnick, in part: I work for the President of the United States, and I am here to executive his policies.

Sen. Luján: We have a responsibility to communicate to each other for the people we work for. It’s not that you just work for Donald Trump sir, you work for the American people if you get this position.

###