HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sharply criticized Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) on Wednesday during a Senate Finance Committee hearing, accusing the Democrat of ignoring a massive child welfare crisis under the Biden administration.

The confrontation arose as the hearing on the HHS budget drew to a close. Wyden questioned Kennedy about a recent media report detailing the sexual abuse of a three-year-old girl in a foster home operated by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), an HHS agency. "You’re the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and it’s in a national publication, and you didn’t know that a three-year-old girl was being sexually abused on your watch?" Wyden asked.

Kennedy responded that he was unaware of the specific case but pivoted to what he described as a far larger scandal. "I can tell you there were tens of thousands of girls and boys who were sexually abused," he said. "The Biden administration lost 425,000 children and you never complained. Why weren’t you worried when he lost 425,000 children? Why are you suddenly worried?"

Kennedy labeled Wyden's approach "selective indignation" and "tribalism," claiming it overlooked the prior administration's role in releasing hundreds of thousands of unaccompanied migrant children to unvetted sponsors. "This is selective indignation [that] is very dishonest, Senator," Kennedy added. "We have been working on this for years. Why don’t you help us find those children who are still lost?"

The 425,000 figure refers to unaccompanied migrant children placed with sponsors by HHS during the Biden years, many of whom HHS later lost contact with after release. Republican lawmakers and administration officials have cited the number to highlight vetting failures that left minors vulnerable to trafficking and abuse. Kennedy has previously stated that the Trump administration located 138,000 of these children through intensive efforts.

A 2024 HHS Inspector General report documented challenges in post-release services, noting that in some cases, caseworkers could not reach over 85,000 children by phone after placement. Critics, including Kennedy, argue the Biden policies prioritized speed over safety, contributing to exploitation.

The hearing also covered drug pricing, vaccine policies and CDC staffing. Wyden pressed Kennedy on measles outbreaks and pharmaceutical deals, while Kennedy defended HHS reforms. No immediate response from Wyden's office was available following the exchange.

This marks the latest in a series of tense encounters between Kennedy and Democrats over HHS operations. Earlier clashes, including in September 2025, involved similar accusations of child endangerment from both sides.