'Were You Are Aware Of This?': Troy Carter Presses RFK Jr. Over 'Devastating' Cuts To HIV Program

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At a House Energy Committee hearing on Tuesday, Rep. Troy Carter (D-LA) questioned HHS Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

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00:00Now recognizes the gentleman from Louisiana, Representative Carter, for five minutes of

00:04questioning. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Secretary Kennedy, I want to ask you about how the department

00:09is gutting our federal investment in prevention and treatment of HIV. I'm perplexed why in April

00:16your administration shuttered nearly every unit in the CDC's Division of HIV Prevention and reassigned

00:22CDC's top HIV official, Dr. Jonathan Merman. Given that, CDC has historically been the

00:31cornerstone of domestic HIV prevention efforts. Do you know the percentage of all federal funding

00:38for HIV prevention provided by your agency, CDC? Congressman, we don't intend to cut HIV

00:45treatment. We are part of the reorg is reassigning HIV treatment. But respectfully, sir, you have.

00:52The response to your answer to the question, what I'd like you to know, is it's 91% of all

01:01federal funding for HIV prevention, 91%. These cuts have been devastating for prevention of

01:07critical trials. You say you don't want to cut, but the reality is you have. And, sir, in a second.

01:15According to a report in the American Association of Medical Colleges, AAMC, 160 active clinical trials

01:23associated with NIH overall were terminated in 2025, and more than one-third of those, 38%,

01:30investigating topics were related to HIV, AIDS. Mr. Chairman, I'd like to unanimous can enter into the

01:38record impact on NIH grant terminations that have been sanctioned and approved by this agency.

01:45We have 27 HIV departments. We spent $7.5 billion a year, not $1 billion, $7.5 billion.

01:57Those are being consolidated and transferred to the agency for healthy America. Respectfully, Mr. Secretary,

02:05there have been cuts. We're not talking about consolidation. We're talking about cuts, midstream,

02:12in the middle of research, in the middle of action. Cut. Let me be more specific, an example of what

02:16these cuts in HIV clinical trials mean. The Adolescent Trial Network for HIV Intervention,

02:21which supports studies of teenagers and young adults, received a stop work order that shut down

02:26research at 14 sites where seven studies were being conducted. Were you aware of that, sir?

02:31We have not. Were you aware of that, sir? As far as I know, we have not cut any clinical trial.

02:35Were you aware of that, sir, respectfully? As I said.

02:38Were you aware, sir? Yes or no. Either you were, you weren't. As far as I know, we haven't cut any

02:41clinical trial. But I'm telling you by your own records, you are, so apparently that means you

02:45were not aware. Number two, Mr. Secretary, were you aware that your department green-lighted these grants

02:50for termination? Did you make these decisions? Like I said, as far, a lot of the information that I've

02:58heard from this side of the aisle today has been untrue. Mischaracterizations-

03:02Mr. Secretary, you're testifying that you are unaware who within the administration of your

03:07department made decisions to terminate research at 14 sites where seven studies were being conducted.

03:13This is unacceptable, sir. Lastly, I'd like to bring your attention to termination of HIV vaccine

03:19studies. These cuts make up $258 million. Secretary Kennedy, did you make the decision to terminate

03:27these studies? I didn't personally make that decision, but I understand.

03:31You sanctioned them. How could you possibly justify such an action?

03:36We've been studying an HIV, been promising an HIV vaccine since 1984. And every year,

03:44Congress pours money into it. And every year-

03:46Because they haven't come up with-

03:47Every year it accomplishes nothing.

03:48You can cut the forward motion by getting rid of NIH dollars that critically do research that

03:53saved lives. And because it hasn't happened yet-

03:56Well, we haven't-

03:56Show me one life.

03:57Sir, sir, it's my time. It's my time.

03:58Show me one life.

03:59It's my time, sir.

04:00Show me one life.

04:00I can show you a whole lot of lives if you've got a minute. I'm insulted that you would suggest

04:05that there aren't lives that have been lost. People are dying every day, sir. And for you to

04:09say, show me one, there are people all over this country that are suffering the loss of their loved

04:13ones. Sir, here's the reality. Here's a whole bunch of studies that like to submit for unanimous

04:19consent to the record that will debunk many of the things that you're saying and will, in fact,

04:23prove that you aren't being forthright with us or the American people. May I, sir?

04:29Without objection.

04:30As we look and we listen and we see where we are, the challenge and the fear, sir, of

04:41the state of now and the arrogance and the unwillingness to be forthright with the American

04:50people. Mr. Secretary, your uncle, President John F. Kennedy, and your father, Senator Robert

04:56F. Kennedy, were towering champions for working Americans, for justice, for dignity,

05:00and for those without a voice. They fought to lift people up. So I'll ask this rhetorical

05:08question as I end.

05:09The gentleman's time has expired. The gentleman's time has expired. The chair now recognizes the

05:15gentleman from New York, Mr. Langworthy, for five minutes.

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