By Caroline Boda | The Center Square
(Worthy News) – A U.S. Senate hearing to examine deaths and cognitive delays caused by vaccines revealed a shared belief between Democrats and Republicans that the pharmaceutical industry lacks adequate oversight.
Families of children and teenagers who were injured after receiving the influenza, HPV and MMR vaccines shared their stories in front of a congressional panel Tuesday. Top committee members on both sides of the aisle expressed concerns of how the witnesses’ testimonies demonstrated an “immunity from legal responsibility” within big pharma.
Chairman Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., criticized the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for allowing pharmaceutical companies to advertise directly to consumers on TV. Johnson said drug companies spent an estimated $10 billion on consumer advertising in 2024, making up almost 25% of evening ad minutes.
Johnson argued that the massive amount of money garnered from this advertising allows the industry to “control the narrative and suppress stories of drug and vaccine injuries.”
The panel’s top Democrat Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., shared Johnson’s concerns of big pharma and pledged to co-sponsor a bill banning pharmaceutical advertisements on TV. Blumenthal questioned whether the U.S. government holds the pharmaceutical industry to the same standards as other industries.
“I am extremely suspicious as a lawyer of immunity that is granted in any blanket way across the board to any manufacturer,” Blumenthal said.
Committee members conveyed interest in reforming the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, a program which provides legal immunity to pharmaceutical manufacturers, according to the panel. One witness said the program provided no relief to his family over 16 years to support his son who requires around-the-clock care.
“If there are reforms in the law that could come of [this hearing] to improve the law, I would explore them,” Blumenthal told The Center Square.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
President Donald Trump promised “complete demolition” of Iran on Tuesday if the nation’s leaders do not agree to a deal to reduce nuclear weapons development by 8 p.m. Eastern time.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced Sunday that it has killed more than 1,000 operatives from the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah since the group entered the war on March 2, signaling a sustained and expanding military campaign along Israel’s northern front.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States attempted to provide weapons to Iranian protesters earlier this year, but the effort may have failed after Kurdish groups allegedly kept the arms for themselves.
A growing number of U.S. states are moving to restrict or outright ban the use of microchip implants in the workplace, as advances in biohacking technology raise serious questions about privacy, personal freedom, and the future of human identity.
President Donald Trump has put forward a bold $1.5 trillion defense budget for 2027, marking one of the most significant military investment proposals in modern American history and reinforcing his commitment to restoring national strength in an increasingly dangerous world. At a time of escalating global conflict, including ongoing tensions with Iran, the proposal reflects a clear strategic vision: peace is best preserved through undeniable strength.
President Donald Trump threatened a brutal attack on Iran two days ahead of his deadline for the Islamic Republic to reopen the critical Strait of Hormuz.
At least five worshipers were killed when suspected Islamic “terrorists,” also known locally as “bandits,” attacked Easter services at churches in Nigeria’s northwestern Kaduna State, authorities said, with dozens of abducted worshipers later rescued by troops.