US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared before the House Ways and Means Committee (a powerful Congressional panel that oversees health and welfare spending) on Thursday to outline the agency's policy priorities. The hearing marks a significant moment of Congressional scrutiny for Kennedy, who has been a controversial figure since taking charge of the department responsible for public health, food safety, and social welfare programmes. The testimony gives lawmakers their first formal opportunity to question Kennedy's leadership and the direction of one of the US government's largest federal agencies.