U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell confronted Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing Tuesday, April 21, about the rising measles cases in Michigan and the federal government's response.
"I had seven cases just in the last couple of weeks in my county," Dingell said during the hearing. "I've met with the family of one of them. I said, 'Why didn't you get immunized?' They said, 'We're listening to our government. Our government tells us not to.'"
Michigan confirmed eight measles cases by early April, with another case confirmed this week in Ottawa County. Dingell noted she had seven cases in just a few weeks in her Washtenaw County alone. The cases have appeared in grocery stores, colleges, and other community settings.
Measles was eliminated in the United States in 2000, but thousands of cases have emerged in recent years. The U.S. recorded 2,288 cases in 2025, the highest since elimination, and 1,748 cases have already been reported in 2026.
Kennedy made sudden changes to the childhood vaccine schedule in January 2026. He also dismantled HHS's advisory committee on immunization practices last year, replacing its members with what public health experts describe as anti-science vaccine skeptics.
During the hearing, Kennedy suggested the measles cases in Michigan were not unique. "We eliminated it," Kennedy told Dingell. "Europe has eliminated it. Canada. Now guess what? Canada has lost its elimination status." He pointed to England and Europe losing measles elimination status as evidence.
"I've never been anti-vaccine," Kennedy repeatedly claimed during testimony.
But Dingell rejected Kennedy's argument that the outbreak was about immigration. She said many Americans have stopped getting vaccinated and families she spoke with said they were following government advice not to immunize.
Amesh Adalja, a doctor specializing in infectious disease at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told HuffPost there is no evidence the government lied to the public about vaccine safety during the COVID pandemic. He said anti-vaccine proponents like Kennedy have tried to capitalize on anger over COVID-era public health measures.
"Henry Adalja said the erosion of vaccine uptake in the U.S. has a lot to do with RFK Jr.'s and his affiliated organizations' rhetoric," Adalja said. "He is brazenly evading."
Rep. Kim Schrier, a pediatrician from Washington, raised concerns about parents being reluctant to give newborns vitamin K shots at birth during the hearing. She told Kennedy she would hold him personally accountable for every vaccine-preventable illness and death in the country.
"Now I have to add newborns bleeding out because these same parents who are listening to you are not giving their babies a vitamin K shot," Schrier said. "This is going to be your legacy. The HHS secretary that caused kids to die."
The hearing also touched on a nursing home staffing issue. Dingell referred to Kennedy's agency rescinding a rule that implemented a minimum staff standard in nursing homes. It will now not be implemented until 2035.
"This rule would have saved lives, improved care, and strengthened the nursing home workforce," Dingell said. "You have to have a standard that there are enough people to take care of those in nursing homes."
During the hearing, Rep. Marc Veasey from Texas, whose state has been hit hard by measles outbreaks, noted Kennedy didn't mention vaccines at all in his 13-page written testimony. He asked why such a vocal vaccine skeptic went silent on these issues.
"Everything you've said is a lie," Kennedy snapped when Veasey pressed him.
Experts warn the public health system is not ready for a resurgence of eliminated diseases, citing underreporting, inconsistent data collection, and delayed responses. The share of Americans vaccinated against measles has declined below the threshold needed for community protection, which requires about 95% coverage to prevent outbreaks.
In the first three months of 2026, America logged roughly 1,600 measles cases nearly as many as the total for all of 2025. There have already been 17 separate outbreaks this year.
Kennedy blamed immigrants for the outbreaks, suggesting looking at immigration policies if concerned about polio and tuberculosis. A spokesperson for HHS did not provide evidence to support Kennedy's claim about immigrant responsibility.
Dingell's questions came amid growing concerns about public health infrastructure. She told Kennedy: "America is grappling with an unprecedented destruction, a destruction of our public health infrastructure."
The hearing highlighted tensions between federal health officials and state representatives over vaccine policy and public health responses. Experts say the U.S. could soon lose its measles elimination status after more than 12 months of continuous transmission.