Lawmaker Confronts RFK Jr. Over Comments About Black Children

WASHINGTON — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced sharp criticism Thursday during a House hearing after a Democratic lawmaker pressed him over past comments suggesting Black children on certain medications should be “re-parented.”

During a hearing before the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Terri Sewell questioned Kennedy about remarks he made in a 2024 podcast interview.

Sewell said Kennedy suggested that Black children prescribed medications such as Adderall, antidepressants and benzodiazepines should be removed from those medications and “re-parented.” Kennedy denied making the remarks and said he did not know what the term meant.

“I don’t even know what that phrase means, and I doubt that I said that,” Kennedy said during the hearing.

Sewell responded by quoting Kennedy’s earlier comments, in which he said “every Black kid is now just standardly put on Adderall, on SSRIs, benzos,” and said those children should have the opportunity to “go somewhere and get re-parented.”

The exchange quickly became heated.

Sewell criticized Kennedy’s qualifications, noting that he is not a physician and does not have formal medical training. She also said his comments were especially offensive because of the long history of Black children being separated from their families through slavery, segregation and discriminatory child welfare systems.

“For you to suggest that Black families are not capable of raising their own children is deeply offensive,” Sewell said.

Kennedy pushed back repeatedly, telling Sewell that she was “making stuff up” and insisting he never suggested taking Black children away from their families.

The remarks Sewell referenced came from a 2024 podcast interview in which Kennedy discussed his proposal for “wellness farms” or “healing farms” for people struggling with addiction and mental health issues. Kennedy later said the term “re-parenting” referred to therapy and emotional support, not physically removing children from their homes. ()

The confrontation was one of several tense moments during Kennedy’s testimony, which also included questions about vaccine policy, measles outbreaks and proposed cuts to the federal health budget.