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On Politics

Wed May 14 2025

Rebecca Morin | Newsletter Writer

@RebeccaMorin_

Hi! Rebecca Morin here. I sadly did not try to go through the mess of getting tickets to Lorde's new Ultrasound tour.

RFK Jr. grilled on Capitol Hill

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday was grilled by lawmakers on Capitol Hill, from questions on proposed cuts to top health agencies, to his own stance on vaccines, to what will happen to M&Ms after several artificial food dyes were banned. Kennedy Jr., who is nearly four months into his new job, defended President Donald Trump's proposed cuts to programs and staff at agencies in the Department of Health and Human Services, including the National Institutes of Health and the CDC. In a morning hearing before the House Appropriations Committee, Kennedy Jr. also dodged heated questions over his stance on vaccines, saying his opinions on vaccines are "irrelevant" and that "I don't think people should be taking medical advice from me." Kennedy Jr. is set to appear before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee early Wednesday afternoon. Highlights from the hearings.

•	Kennedy Jr. may also face questions throughout his hearings over his push to ban fluoride from drinking water. Just this week, U.S. health regulators announced they are beginning to remove ingestible fluoride supplements for children from the market, the latest move from Kennedy Jr. to *target the tooth-strengthening mineral.*
•	Due to planned budget cuts to HHS, crucial mental health services for LGBTQ+ youth could be on the chopping block. More than 100 congressional Democrats have signed a letter urging Kennedy Jr. to scrap the planned cuts, which puts the *988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at stake.*

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, arrives to testify in front of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies in Washington, D.C., on May 15, 2025.

Jack Gruber, USA TODAY

A politics pit stop

•	How Syria's leader rose from al-Qaeda to a meeting with Trump
•	Omaha, Nebraska elects first Black mayor, ousting three-term Republican
•	Federal judge says Trump can use Alien Enemies Act for deportations
•	Joe Biden didn't recognize George Clooney at fundraiser, new book says
•	Federal grand jury indicts Wisconsin judge in immigration case

ICE chief acknowledges 9 detainee deaths in custody

Since President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20, nine detainees have died while in custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said Todd Lyons, ICE's acting director. Lyons, who was being questioned by lawmakers during a subcommittee hearing, pledged to post information about the deaths publicly on the agency's website. Lyons also clashed with lawmakers over funding for the agency as well. Congress has approved funding for 41,500 detention beds but ICE is detaining 52,000 people, which could lead the agency to running out of money within two months. What to know about the deaths in ICE custody.

Is the 2028 presidential race beginning?

There's roughly three years and five months until the 2028 presidential election. But speculation about potential Democratic contenders has already begun. Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stopped in Cedar Rapids, Iowa – not to campaign for political office, he said, but to campaign for "values and for ideas." Although it's no longer the first-in-the-nation caucus state for Democrats, Iowa thrusted Buttigieg from an unknown Indiana mayor to top-tier presidential contender during the 2020 presidential primary campaign. This was Buttigeig's first public in-person event since leaving his Cabinet position in January, bringing out about 1,800 people in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday. Why Buttigieg's Iowa visit sparks questions about a 2028 presidential run.

Race to the finish line

Speaking of races… A few employees here at USA TODAY (myself included!) ran a 3-mile race today for this year's ACLI Capital Challenge here in Washington D.C. The run raised money for financial education and included participants from the government and media. Sens. Tim Sheehy, R-Montana, Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina, Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia were among the senators who ranked within the top two in their category. Reps. Greg Casar, D-Texas, Chris Pappas, D-N.H., Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pennsylvania, and Sara Jacobs, D-California, were among the representatives that ranked within the top two in their categories.