Aderholt Remarks at Budget Hearing for U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Good morning. It is my pleasure to begin today’s hearing by welcoming our new Secretary of Health and Human Services to the House Appropriations Committee. Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Confirmed to his Cabinet post just three months ago, he has hit the ground running with the aim of implementing the President’s goal to Make America Healthy Again. Mr. Secretary, we are pleased to have you with us here today.
Secretary Kennedy brings fresh eyes and a new perspective on public health and the state of the health care system in America – what is working and what is not working.
The federal government is currently spending an estimated $1.9 trillion annually on health care programs and services, which constitutes over a quarter of federal outlays, and the largest category of federal spending. The United States vastly outpaces every other country in the world on per capita health care spending.
And yet, despite this massive and growing investment, America’s health outcomes lag behind our peers. Life expectancy in the U.S. is lower than in other developed economies while rates of infant and maternal mortality, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease are higher. At the same time, public trust in government health agencies has notably eroded.
We clearly have a problem. Adding more and more money to the status quo simply isn’t solving the problem. It’s time to seek out bold and fresh ideas.
In that spirit, I am interested to hear more today from Secretary Kennedy about his efforts and ideas to reform the Department of Health and Human Services and reorient its focus to improving health outcomes for the men, women, and children we represent in our local communities.
In my home state of Alabama, we confront a number of health challenges that are common to rural communities around the country.
Rates of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer in my state exceed the national average. Meanwhile, rural hospitals that serve our communities are facing significant financial challenges to stay afloat – and in many cases, that is a gross understatement of the financial situation of these hospitals.
Since 2010, at least 14 hospitals in Alabama have closed their doors and even more have stopped offering inpatient services and maternal health services. In addition, our rural communities face ongoing challenges with health workforce shortages. Therefore, I look forward to working with Secretary Kennedy on these critical challenges facing rural America.
As Secretary Kennedy knows, I am a strong supporter of the right to life. I am encouraged by his commitment to protect the sanctity of life in his role at HHS. Mr. Secretary, I look forward to working with you closely on our efforts to protect innocent human life and the conscience rights of all Americans, including medical professionals and students who are pro-life.
I am encouraged by President Trump’s tremendous success in getting our nation’s border under control so quickly and effectively. The President’s success in securing our border directly benefits public health by reducing the incoming flow of illicit drugs, like fentanyl, which has fallen by 54 percent since this time last year. Similarly, the President’s border actions have significantly reduced the number of unaccompanied minors being trafficked into our country. I look forward to hearing from the Secretary about these efforts.
I also look forward to learning more about the Secretary’s plans to reform and reorganize HHS. Over the past two years, Secretary Kennedy has spoken eloquently to the American people about the urgent need for health care reform. He continued to make the case for reform as he partnered with President Trump on the Make America Healthy Again movement. Last month, the Secretary announced a number of structural reform proposals within the Department of Health and Human Services and its numerous subagencies, including the establishment of a new Administration for a Healthy America. Mr. Secretary, I appreciate the preliminary details of this plan that you have shared with us and look forward to hearing more.
Congress has also been engaged on the urgent need to reform our health care agencies. Last year, I was pleased to work with our colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee to initiate a reform proposal for the National Institutes of Health. I am encouraged to see that the Administration is building off of this process by making additional reform proposals for NIH. I look forward to hearing additional details of the Secretary’s proposal today, and to continuing the dialogue between HHS and the Appropriations Committee as we begin the budget process in earnest.
Mr. Secretary, as I’m sure you know all too well, implementing reforms in Washington is no easy task. However, the President has asked you to take on this weighty challenge, and you have accepted. We here in Congress want to partner with you, bringing our own experiences to the table as the elected representatives of our communities. We share your goal to Make America Healthy Again and look forward to your testimony here today.
