00:00Thank you. Welcome, Mr. Secretary. Before I ask my questions, I just want to make this statement.
00:06Draconian abortion restrictions are killing and maiming women, and that is a tragedy.
00:11You don't need to respond to that. I want to thank you for being here.
00:15I just want you to know I'm going to try to ask my questions as kindly as possible.
00:20Do not take them personally. In the past, I believe...
00:25I will take your kindness personally.
00:27Okay, well, whatever.
00:30What did they say? If you can't take a joke, don't go into politics.
00:34So let me start by saying in the past, I have believed very strongly in the mission of the Department of Health and Human Services.
00:42Funding this department should be one of our highest priorities because if it's run correctly, it has the power to save lives, advance life-changing research,
00:50and protect the health and well-being of our families, especially our most vulnerable, our children, our seniors.
00:55But to be straightforward, as my colleagues know, in other words, my, my, my, I am deeply wary of giving $1 to this administration under the current leadership,
01:08especially because it seems to be a disregard of science and, most importantly, ignoring the body of government that appropriates funding.
01:18That's us, the Congress.
01:19In just a few short months, we've seen a level of chaos and destruction.
01:24I compare it to a tornado hitting a populated community.
01:28Without the consent of Congress, which appropriated funds with Elon's must chainsaw, medical research has been gutted,
01:37clinical trials have been halted, billions of research grants have been yanked without warning,
01:42preventative health programs, preventative health programs, preventative health programs, those that keep people healthy and out of hospitals have been slashed to the bone.
01:48And I'm from Florida, where we have one of the largest senior populations in the country, and I'm particularly alarmed.
01:54Alzheimer's, cancer, heart disease, these are not abstract concerns.
01:58Research has been stopped.
02:00These are everyday fears of millions of Americans, including my own constituents.
02:05And so we've seen the firing of thousands of scientists and other professionals.
02:15All this to give tax breaks to our wealthiest citizens, who are also probably our healthiest citizens.
02:22And to me, that is unconscionable and dumb.
02:26So this should not be a partisan issue, really, because it doesn't matter what political party you are.
02:34People want to and should be healthy, but the Trump administration's ideological dismantling of a public infrastructure must go in a different direction for me to vote for your budget.
02:46Now I have a few questions for you.
02:50I think you said that the decision for all these cuts was done by a varied amount of people.
02:56Were any of the cuts made before you were sworn into office?
03:00Were you handed – do you remember that?
03:05Were people fired before you was – all right, well, what did you say?
03:11I think so, but I can't tell you.
03:14Let me ask you this.
03:15Was any member of Congress or anyone on this committee consulted before the cuts were made?
03:22And could you tell me who you talked to here?
03:24I mean, I stayed pretty close touch with Bill Cassidy during that.
03:29Okay, well, I'm asking if anybody here, because you're here – you're asking us for money.
03:34We appropriated the funds.
03:35Did you talk to any of us, Democrat or Republican?
03:37You know what?
03:37There are actually some very bright Republicans, I will say that, on both sides of the aisle.
03:43So the answer to that question is no.
03:44So your decisions, were they based on merit or generated by an algorithm?
03:52Did somebody – Elon Musk's computer and say, okay, just make 20% cuts?
03:59Do you know if that happened?
03:59I mean, I disagree with your entire characterization.
04:02It was like the recitation of a narrative that, you know, everybody knows out there,
04:08and it's the Democratic Party narrative.
04:09Well, I'm going to ask you a question.
04:11It's just not true.
04:12We weren't cutting thousands of scientists.
04:14We weren't cutting a clinical trial.
04:16I mean, everything you said was essentially dishonest.
04:20All right, that's my point.
04:21And don't take that personally.
04:23Don't take it personally.
04:24Mr. Secretary, how many employees have been let go so far?
04:28Excuse me?
04:29How many employees have been let go so far from your –
04:33About 10,000 left, took the fork in the road, about 10,000 more.
04:38And how many are on administrative leave now?
04:40Waiting to be fired in June.
04:44That would be the second 10,000.
04:45Okay, so – and they're currently being paid.
04:48Yes.
04:48So they're being paid to do nothing.
04:50Well, there's – a lot of them are supposed to be coming in still.
04:53But they're coming in to do nothing because they don't – they're not allowed to work.
04:56No, no, no.
04:57We want them working.
04:58Are you – you empowered to reverse these decisions?
05:01Yes.
05:02You are.
05:02Okay, and how was the 15% indirect research cost cap decided?
05:09The 15%?
05:10Research.
05:11There's now a – a 15% –
05:12That's pretty much about – two to three points above industry standards.
05:19So we were just – I mean, if you're the Gates Foundation and you give a scientific grant
05:24to Stanford, you're getting – you're giving them a 10% indirect research.
05:27So you'd base this on the Gates Foundation?
05:30No, all of the Rockefeller Foundation, all of the other foundations that give to biomedical
05:34research.
05:35One more question.
05:36You're asking me a question, but you won't let me answer it, Congress.
05:38You've done very well.
05:39Very, very well.
05:40I just want to know, are you going to – can we – can we trust you?
05:46If we give you – if we put money into the budget for you, you're going to spend it the
