Moolenaar Questions Health Secretary RFK Jr. on Medical Supply Chain

Last week, Congressman John Moolenaar, questioned Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on concerns regarding supply chains for critical medicines, and medical equipment, as well as efforts in Michigan by rural health providers to protect themselves from cyber threats.

"For far too long, our health industry supply chain, specifically for pharmaceuticals, have been reliant on our adversaries. I appreciate the Trump administration and Secretary Kennedy's efforts to improve the domestic supply chain for medicine to reduce our dependence on the CCP, and protect American health centers from cyber threats. I remain committed to working with the administration on strengthening health outcomes and ensuring federal health programs are delivering results for patients and families," said Moolenaar.

Moolenaar's questioning of Secretary Kennedy can be viewed here. A transcript of his line of questioning is available below.

Congressman John Moolenaar: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. secretary, thank you for being here with us today. I want to follow up with you on a few of the questions that have been raised. First, I appreciate learning about the reshoring effort for API's and our medicines. And I wonder if you could talk a little bit more about that. Because one of the things we have learned over the last year especially is our dependency on China for rare earth and critical minerals and pharmaceuticals seem to be that same situation and I'm encouraged to hear about this investment, and I wonder if you could talk a little bit more about that?

Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: I mean, we are President Trump has made it a priority to re-shore all pharmaceutical production for critical medicine in this country. API's as you know are the precursor chemicals and compounds that go into building a variety of pharmaceutical drugs. During covid, it was… became clear that we did not have any control, we were not producing… we were virtually producing no API's. they are all coming from China and India, and mostly from China. So, President Trump has made this a priority, and we have in addition to $325 billion that we're putting into it, there is also - or million - that we're putting into it. President Trump is putting billions in from the tariffs, and we have secured agreements during the MFN negotiations with these companies to build billions and billions of dollars of plants right here in the United States. I think, (Eli) Lilly alone is building six new plants, Pfizer is building plants, all the big companies are now building here in the United States. We're gonna be in a lot more secure position, two or three years from now than we are today.

CJM: Wonderful, does BARDA need any more contracting authorizations to help accelerate domestic production?

SRFKJ: You know, I will have to meet with you. I know we have a slightly expanded power under the last bill. And I need to meet with my staff over there to see if there is something additional that we need. And I appreciate that offer, and we will get back to you.

CJM: Okay, thank you. Also, wanted to follow up with you on some of the unethical practices used by China. Cause one of the concerns with their clinical data is sometimes it may be linked to forced labor or other human rights abuses. So, is there anything HHS can do about those kinds of issues?

SRFKJ: Well, uh, before we came in there were no surprises inspections. And now, we're doing that and were doing a lot of them. We're doing surprises inspections over there to make sure that they have their IND to make sure they have their IRB approvals and to make sure that they are conducting this ethically. That they're not going to minority groups and forcing them to participate in studies where they have no choice over. And that's something we have seen there in the past.

CJM: Thank you, rural providers are increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks. they can disrupt care and compromise patient data. Is there anything HHS can do to help these providers strengthen their cyber security before an attack and then also maintain operations after an attack?

SRFKJ: the rural housed - I mean - I think that there are two things I can answer that with the specificity that you deserve. I can say that the rural health transformation fund has a lot of the states have chosen to spend that money on AI and telemedicine. And that has to be very, very heavily armored, against cyberattacks, otherwise you can get patient information. We have had HHS now the best team in its history for cyber security. And we have been able to recruit the top names in Silicon Valley, who are now working in the agency to armor, to fortify our biosecurity capacity and it's something that is a huge priority for us. As we move to AI and you know they can crack house codes and there is a lot of scary things happening where and we don't want people stealing patient information.

CJM: And then just one final thing on the glyphosate, you know I represent a district that is rural, strong agricultural. You know you got corn, bean, sugar beets, all benefit from glyphosate. and I think it's important we talk about some of these products about carcinogenic and certainly depends on, you know, the content and it's not just sort of a one size fits all. And I appreciate the fact that you recognize our dependency on China and with that. And as we look for alternatives that may be better fitted that it's not a knee jerk reaction on that. So, thank you.

SRFKJ: you I think that there's a very, very promising technology to replace intensive pesticide use. Particularly in sugar beet fields. Less so with corn and soy. But laser technology and laser weed killing technology, which is now beginning to proliferate around the country and kind of promises an era of chemical free agriculture.

CJM: Thank you very much. Thank you Mr. Chairman. I yield back.