The White House has taken steps to assert tighter control over HHS amid leadership and messaging changes tied to concerns that department Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr.’s focus on vaccine policy could pose political risks heading into the 2026 midterm elections, The Wall Street Journal reported March 13.
While Mr. Kennedy remains in good standing with President Donald Trump, administration aides have grown frustrated with what they described as disorganization and missteps inside HHS, according to the report. Among them: a delayed response to a measles outbreak in Texas, backlash over mental health grant cuts and internal tension surrounding the FDA’s approval of a generic abortion pill.
To stabilize the department, the White House elevated Medicare chief Chris Klomp to serve as Mr. Kennedy’s deputy. Mr. Klomp, a Trump ally credited with leading recent drug pricing negotiations, has been granted broad operational authority and is expected to steer HHS toward priorities seen as politically safer, such as affordability and nutrition, according to the Journal.
The shake-up also removed HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill from his Senate-confirmed role and reassigned FDA oversight as officials attempt to reduce internal friction and refocus the department on White House priorities. Although the Make America Healthy Again agenda remains a signature initiative, Trump did not mention it in his State of the Union address, apart from highlighting drug-pricing negotiations led by HHS and Medicare.
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