ISTANBUL

US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. clarified Wednesday that Elon Musk’s role at the agency was advisory, emphasizing he made the ultimate decisions on personnel and program cuts.

Kennedy addressed concerns about Musk's influence at a House Appropriations subcommittee, following significant staffing reductions at the agency. He said Musk assisted in identifying potential "fraud and abuse."

But Kennedy asserted his authority. "Elon Musk gave us help in trying and figuring out where there was ways fraud and abuse in the department, but it was up to it was up to me to make the decision,” he said. "There are many instances" he added, where he "pushed back" against Musk's recommendations.  

Reforms, restructuring in agency

Kennedy justified personnel cuts, which involved 20,000 employees, as an effort to address "duplication, the redundancy to streamlining." He noted the department’s workforce increased 70% in four years and reforms aimed to return it to " 2019 levels."

These actions are part of a broader agenda to "make America healthy again," with a "special focus on the chronic disease epidemic," he said. That includes delivering "more efficient, responsive and effective services" while "cutting costs to taxpayers."

He pledged to "do more, a lot more with less" and "shift funding away from bureaucracy for direct impact."  

Agency overhauls

Kennedy outlined plans for major health agencies.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will "fund cutting-edge research ... while cutting risky or non-essential services," he said.

He criticized the NIH for being “captured by industry" leading to "a tremendous amount of corruption." The reforms aim to ensure science "cannot be corrupted" and support "younger scientists ​​​​​​ rather than the old boys network," said Kennedy.

He added that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will "return to its core missions, tracking disease, investigating outbreaks and sustaining public health infrastructure while cutting waste." Kennedy confirmed the administration "will eliminate DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) funding and redirect resources toward real poverty reduction."

Asked if he would vaccinate his child for measles, Kennedy said that his “opinions about vaccines are irrelevant" and he does not want to give people advice. He indicated that the HHS would focus on laying out "the pros and cons, the risks of benefits accurately."