'Make America Healthy Again Resonates With Voters': Brett Guthrie Praises RFK Jr.'s MAHA Agenda

During a House Energy Committee hearing last week, Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) spoke about health issues facing Americans.

Transcript

00:00Now recognized as the chairman of the full committee, Chairman Guthrie for five minutes

00:04for an opening statement. Thank you. Thank you Mr. Secretary for being here today. Thank you

00:08Chairman Carter for the time and I'd like to welcome you to the Energy and Commerce Committee

00:12and it's good to have you with us today. HHS has become the largest spender of our federal

00:18departments and whether at the pharmacy counter, doctor's office or dinner table, HHS work impacts

00:24Americans every single day. The core mission of HHS is to enhance the health and well-being

00:30of all Americans, but Americans are increasingly frustrated by a system that has become inefficient

00:36and too expensive. That is why President Trump's pledge to make America healthy again resonates

00:41with voters across the country. The American people spoke loudly and clearly when they rejected

00:47business as usual November and already in the first few months the administration has taken

00:51significant strides to challenge the status quo. The budget we'll be discussing today

00:57rethinks how HHS accomplishes the mission of enhancing the health and well-being of all Americans.

01:04Like many other departments across the federal government, HHS has ballooned over the past four

01:08years. In fiscal year 24, HHS was responsible for 25 percent of federal spending. While increasing

01:17resources to our health departments might make sense during a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic,

01:21using that increase as the new baseline for HHS should not be how everything, how it operates.

01:27As I've said many times this year, it is the mission of HHS that matters most, not the bureaucracy.

01:33If this administration has ideas on how to more effectively and efficiently deliver on the missions

01:39Congress has directed HHS to undertake, it is our duty to thoughtfully examine them. This does not mean

01:45blindly accepting them. It doesn't mean opposing ideas that go against the grain just because they're new.

01:50While some of the bigger proposals have consumed headlines, there are countless examples that reflect

01:55this administration's mission to modernize. The FDA's recent announcement about harnessing AI to

02:01help streamline review and approval processes speaks to this administration's commitment to embracing

02:07innovation to greatly benefit the American people. An innovation that's coming, Mr. Secretary, I was in

02:14Boston and saw in a little saline bag cells that, when implanted into a human, produces insulin-owned

02:22demand. They were saying there's a cure for type 1 diabetes within this decade or having family members

02:29that have suffered with Alzheimer's. There are great strides in Alzheimer's this decade. We want to all

02:34work together to make sure we increase this momentum. I'd also say CMS' recent ACA Marketplace

02:42program integrity rule represents the administration dedicating to combating widespread race, fraud,

02:47and abuse plaguing our healthcare system. The rule will save American taxpayers up to $12 billion in

02:532026 alone and lower patients' premiums by an average of 5%. Fighting the chronic disease crisis by

03:00investing in its root causes, as well as working to strengthen the safety and quality of our nation's food

03:06supply are prime examples of common sense steps that are long overdue. As HHS continues to carry out its

03:12vital mission, communication and collaboration with Congress will be essential to ensure lasting

03:17success. I am confident that everyone in this room wants to see our healthcare system that is driving us to

03:25be the healthiest America we can be, regardless of disagreements, on the best way to get there. I would also

03:31like to take a moment to thank a personal privilege to welcome my friend Gary Andres back to the committee.

03:36Gary was our staff director when I first joined Energy and Commerce and congratulate him on his new role

03:42as the Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services. Secretary Kennedy, I look forward to our

03:47discussion today. Thank you for being here and I will yield back. Will the gentleman yield? I just want to

03:53agree. Mr. Andres was the staff member who pretty much dragged 21st century cures over the finish line

04:01for then-chairman Upton and myself and we're really happy to see you here, Gary. Thank you.