Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took millions of dollars away from the Office of Minority Health and used it to beef up his own personal security.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Kennedy moved $12 million from the office, which was created by Republican President Ronald Reagan to address higher Black infant mortality rates. HHS informed Congress earlier this year that it would use the funds to cover RFK Jr.’s security costs, which grew from $10 million in 2025 to $17 million in 2026, according to the Journal’s sources.

In response to the report, HHS spokeswoman Emily Hilliard said the cuts to the key agency “reflect HHS priorities and programmatic assessments—not the Secretary’s security needs.”

“Secretary Kennedy faces a security environment that differs significantly from that of previous HHS secretaries,” Hilliard added. “His protection reflects the threats he faces, his extensive travel, and the security required for him to safely carry out his duties nationwide.”

When he first started, Kennedy Jr. requested to be protected by the U.S. Marshals Service rather than the security the Office of the Inspector General provided to him.

Kennedy stopped speaking at outdoor events after a man wearing a bike helmet rushed at him last year.