VIDEO: Kennedy falsely claims: 'We have a team in Milwaukee.'; Reed: ‘What about the rest of the United States? This is not a problem exclusively in Milwaukee.’

WASHINGTON, DC –  After successfully working to appropriate $51 million to protect children from lead exposure, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) today confronted President Trump’s Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., about why he effectively shut down a branch of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that is responsible for monitoring childhood lead poisoning.

Childhood lead poisoning is a preventable environmental health problem.  Lead is a neurotoxin that can impair brain development, particularly when children are exposed before the age of 6.  Lead exposure most commonly occurs through peeling or flaking lead paint or household dust containing lead, though it can also be ingested through water traveling through lead pipes, soil, or in the air near contaminated industrial facilities.  CDC estimates that approximately 500,000 children in the United States have concerning blood lead levels that could adversely impact their health.

During today’s hearing of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, Senator Reed criticized the Trump Administration’s costly mishandling of the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP), the flip-flopping messages, and failure to assist state health agencies and non-profits.  HHS’s short-sighted cuts are likely to lead to data blind spots when it comes to lead poisoning surveillance, making it harder for health authorities and researchers tracking childhood blood lead levels. Other state agencies and federal departments also rely on this type of data.. 

Reed led the effort to fund the CLPPP and support childhood lead surveillance and technical capacity, provide lead poisoning prevention training to public health professionals, support childhood blood lead surveillance systems, expand public health laboratory capacity, and ensure targeted screening and case management.  But rather than helping states prevent lead poisoning, the Trump Administration fired the teams responsible for administering programs that keep children safe and healthy from lead poisoning.

During today’s hearing, Reed asked Secretary Kennedy about shutting down the Childhood Lead Program and what effect the Trump Administration’s abrupt layoffs could have on state and local lead poisoning prevention efforts.  Mr. Kennedy seemed confused and gave conflicting answers before falsely suggesting that HHS had a team of experts in one city: Milwaukee.  Senator Reed noted that HHS has a responsibility to help protect children in all fifty states:

SEN. REED: Mr. Secretary, I want to ask you about the CDC's Childhood Lead Program, because we've heard a lot of conflicting messages about…

SEC. KENNEDY: Childhood?

REED: Yes, the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program.  We've heard a lot of conflicting messages. First, the program was eliminated as part of your restructuring of HHS and all the program staff was fired. You suggested that that was a mistake and that the program will be brought back online. Last week you told Senator Baldwin that lead poisoning among children was a very significant issue. And as Congress appropriated the money, the program would continue.

Well, Congress has appropriated the funding. And as far as we can tell, staff has not yet been hired. And I see no statements reversing your decision to eliminate the program. So which is it?

KENNEDY: We are continuing to fund the program. And in Milwaukee, we have a team in Milwaukee, and we're giving laboratory support to the to the analytics in Milwaukee. And we're working with the Health Department of Milwaukee.

REED: Well, that's Milwaukee. What about the rest of the country?

KENNEDY: Well, I don't-- as I said, I have I have a a TRO now, you know, a federal TRO that does not allow me to talk about the re-org. What I can tell you is that if you appropriate the money, that we are going to spend it.

REED: We have appropriated the money, Mr. Secretary. You indicated that you have a program in Milwaukee. What about the rest of the United States? This is not a problem exclusively in Milwaukee.

KENNEDY: My understanding is that that program is continuing. I'm hoping to, I'm, I'm very, very happy to talk to you, Senator, after this and find out exactly what the details are.

REED: Well, it should be a very simple answer: The program's back up and running. We've hired the staff, which I don't think you have. And that doesn't indicate that you're serious about getting the program running again.