RFK Jr's Sounds Like A Sick Man At Intense Senate Hearing

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s pronounced heavy breathing became a significant distraction during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Thursday. An aide had to intervene, suggesting he mute his microphone whenever he wasn’t addressing the committee. Originally intended to unfold as a discussion on Kennedy’s initiative to “Make America Healthy Again,” the session quickly devolved into heated arguments over his recent alterations to COVID-19 vaccination protocols, as well as the dismissal of the CDC director.Throughout the raucous three-hour event, Kennedy’s audible breathing overshadowed ongoing discussions. This disrupted speech is linked to spasmodic dysphonia—a neurological condition causing vocal cord spasms, which leads to labored breathing.Independent journalist Aaron Rupar's live updates highlighted the disruption, likening Kennedy's breathing to bomb explosions. Commenters on social media echoed similar sentiments, suggesting humorous solutions while critiquing the Secretary's performance amid his controversial health policies that have raised alarms among public health experts.