Secretary of Health and Social Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. I entered a heated debate with Senator Patty Murray, D-Wash., During an audience on Capitol Hill on Wednesday after the senator accused Kennedy and Trump’s administration of delaying critical cancer care for one of his voters named Natalie.
Kennedy told Murray that he wanted to do “everything” in his power to help his constituent, telling the senator several times to contact his office to review the case of the individual. But his responses were not adequate for the senator, which led Kennedy to finally wonder if the Democrat of the State of Washington actually cared about his constituent, Natalie.
“Mr. Secretary, one of my voters – her name is Natalie Phelps – She is the mother of two children of Bainbridge Island in Washington. She fought the aggressiveness. Colorectal cancer For almost five years now. Her best hope is now a clinical trial in which she participates in the clinical center (National Institutes of Health), “said Murray in her first line of questioning intended for Kennedy.
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“But because of the dismissal of thousands of critical employees with the NIH and the HHS that you have carried out, the Natalie doctors in this clinical center told him that they had no choice but to delay his treatment by four additional weeks.”
Murray added that these four weeks of delayed care “could make the difference between life and death” for Natalie. She also asked Kennedy to give a “specific” number of the number of employees cut at the NIH clinical center.
The Secretary of Health and Social Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., had a stormy argument in Capitol Hill on Wednesday with Senator Patty Murray, D-Wash., During an audience on the HHS budget for the 2026. (Getty Images; Fox News)
“I can’t tell you that now Senator Murray,” Kennedy replied. “What I can tell you is that if you contact my office tomorrow, I’m going to look at it specifically.”
However, this response from Kennedy was “not acceptable” for the senator.
“It is not acceptable. I want an answer,” said Murray, finally demanding from Kennedy to provide him with an update on the case of Natalie within 24 hours.
“Don’t you prefer to get it into this clinical trial as fast as you can?” Kennedy retaliated.
“Absolutely,” said Murray.
“Very well, so if you contact my office tomorrow, it’s a …”, said Kennedy before Murray cut him.
“Natalie is sitting there while waiting for a treatment, you are here …” said Murray before Kennedy indicates to remind her that he was trying to help with the situation of Natalie.
“I propose to help here, but you don’t care about it. You don’t care about Natalia,” Kennedy told Murray, noting at the hearing he wanted to do “while (her) power to try to bring Natalie (the clinical trial faster.)”
President Donald Trump has reduced billions of the NIH budget since his entry into office. (Alamy / Getty images)
After a recreation, Kennedy said that the Natalie patient was inadmissible to the clinical trial in which she was trying to get started. The patient turned out to be “medically ineligible,” said Kennedy.
“It had nothing to do with the (reduction of strength) and the NIH had tried to bring it into another clinical trial, but none of our clinical trials was closed due to the Rif which was a duck.”
Kennedy’s spit with Murray included various questions related to the Trump administration cuts, which Kennedy spent much on Wednesday Capitol Make questions about. Kennedy also participated in a separate house audience on Wednesday which covered the question and the other problems with which HHS faced.
The secretary of the HHS, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., testifies before the Credit Committee of the Chamber in the office of the office of the house Rayburn on May 14, 2025, in Washington, DC (Getty Images)
Kennedy told legislators that he did not know any agency manager who wanted to see Cut budgets, But he stressed that he was not the president, who said Kennedy, has a “broader vision” than him with regard to spending priorities.
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“We have to spend more intelligently,” Kennedy said in response to requests from the Trump administration in HHS on Wednesday. “We will keep funding from the bureaucracy towards a direct impact.”