Well being and Human Companies Secretary-designate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended his lengthy document of vaccine skepticism — sustaining he didn’t imagine he was incorrect to quote hyperlinks between immunizations and rising childhood charges of autism — in his fiery and remaining affirmation listening to on Thursday.
Kennedy additionally fielded questions from members of the Senate Well being, Training, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee about mounting well being care prices, excessive US charges of weight problems, his “Make America Wholesome Once more” motion, Lyme illness as a potential “bioweapon,” fatalities as a consequence of COVID-19 vaccines and “conspiracy theories” about 9/11.
“I’m pro-safety; I’m pro-good science. … I imagine vaccines have saved tens of millions of lives and play a important position in well being care,” Kennedy instructed members of the HELP panel, including that MAHA mothers had been partnering with him on “one of the vital highly effective and transcendent actions” to finish persistent illness within the US.
However the three-hour tour into the thoughts of the 71-year-old environmental lawyer and recovering anti-vaccine crusader left a number of Republican and Democratic senators unconvinced he was able to be the nation’s chief public well being advocate at HHS.
“There are a lot of stuff you and I agree on,” conceded committee chairman Invoice Cassidy. “We have to tackle hyper-processed meals and cut back weight problems, which ends up in different persistent illnesses and shorter lifespans. This will likely be a precedence within the Committee and I sit up for collaborating in case you are confirmed.”
“However I do have reservations along with your previous on vaccines and another points,” Cassidy (R-La.) added.
The Louisiana Republican went on to recount how as a health care provider, many years earlier than he ran for Congress, considered one of his sufferers developed “acute hepatitis B” and needed to be flown on a helicopter for an emergency liver transplant.
“An invasive, quarter-of-a-million-dollar surgical procedure — in 2000 — that, even when profitable, would go away this younger lady with a lifetime of $50,000 per yr medical payments,” Cassidy defined. “As I noticed her take off, I used to be so depressed, a $50 vaccine might have prevented this all.”
It might solely take one Republican voting in opposition to RFK Jr. to tank his affirmation within the committee — and Cassidy was not the one member who raised considerations.
“We will’t be going backwards with our vaccinations,” mentioned Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who was considered one of three Republicans who voted in opposition to confirming Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth.
“I’m asking you on the problem of vaccines particularly to please convey with a degree of authority and science … that these are measures that we ought to be happy with as a rustic.”
Cassidy, Murkowski and others on the panel all through the remainder of the listening to pressed RFK to acknowledge that his immense social media following and, if confirmed, energy as chief of HHS got here with an infinite duty.
“There are a lot of who belief you greater than they belief their very own physician,” Cassidy mentioned. “I’ve constituents who attribute your messages, partly, for his or her determination to not vaccinate their kids. I’m listening to from them. They need you confirmed.
“Will you reassure moms — unequivocally and with out qualification — that the measles and Hepatitis B vaccines don’t trigger autism?” he requested throughout his opening line of questioning.
“Should you present me knowledge, I would be the first individual to guarantee the American people who they should take these vaccines,” RFK instructed the chairman. “Not solely will I do this, however I’ll apologize for any statements that misled individuals in any other case.”
“The proof is there — that’s it — vaccines don’t trigger autism. Do you agree with that?” pressed committee rating member Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
“I’m not going to enter HHS with any preordained …” started RFK Jr. earlier than Sanders butted in.
“That could be a very troubling response as a result of the research are there,” the socialist senator declared. “Your job was to have checked out these research as an applicant for this job.”
The recency of lots of his most controversial statements was additionally too arduous for many senators to swallow.
“What made you determine, within the midst of every part occurring on this nation, on this world, in July 2024, in your personal candidacy for the president — that now was the time to say, ‘It’s arduous to inform what’s conspiracy and what isn’t about 9/11?’” requested Sen. Tim Kaine.
“Senator, the dramatic drop in belief in our authorities,” the HHS nom responded.
“You go on to say,” Kaine (D-Va.) identified, “‘I received’t take sides on 9/11.’”
“My father instructed me after I was 13 years previous, he mentioned, ‘Folks in authority lie,’” RFK replied. “I haven’t investigated it. The issues that I examine, I take sides on. Persons are allowed to carry that opinion. I’m not going to inform them they’re loopy for holding that opinion, I’m going to say, ‘What’s your proof?’”
“So that you received’t take sides on 9/11?” Kaine mentioned in disbelief. “Wow.”
Throughout probably the most charged second of the listening to, Sen. Maggie Hassan fought by means of tears to share how her 36-year-old son was born with “extreme cerebral palsy” and that she “apprehensive” whether or not her personal vaccinations had brought on the situation.
“A day doesn’t go by after I don’t take into consideration, what did I do after I was pregnant with him that may have brought on the hydrocephalus that has so impacted his life?” Hassan (D-NH) mentioned with nice emotion, her voice breaking at occasions.
“So please don’t counsel that anyone on this physique of both political occasion doesn’t wish to know what the reason for autism is,” she added, claiming that Kennedy was “relitigating and churning settled science so we are able to’t go ahead and discover out what the reason for autism is and deal with these youngsters.”
“You’re not questioning science — you’ve made up your thoughts,” Sen. Chris Murphy additionally contended throughout one other alternate on statements the nominee had made about US vaccine mandates being “like Nazi dying camps” and analogous to the Catholic Church’s “pedophilia scandal.”
“You’ve spent your whole profession undermining America’s vaccine program,” Murphy (D-Conn.) declaimed.
“When you have one in 36 youngsters who has neurological accidents, and if that’s linked that’s one thing that we should always research,” the HHS decide mentioned, earlier than hedging: “It’s not an ideal metaphor, however there’s no metaphor that’s excellent. I’m pro-vaccine.”
Between 2020 and 2023, Kennedy as one of many leaders of the anti-vaccine nonprofit Youngsters’s Well being Protection had mentioned in podcast interviews that no vaccines had been protected and efficient and that he needs he might return in time and never immunize his personal youngsters.
At different factors, he stood by claims that “electromagnetic radiation” from Wi-Fi “modifications DNA and there are scientific research which have linked it to most cancers” in addition to that HPV vaccines had been “harmful” — pointing to having prevailed in federal courts suing individuals over each points.
In a testy alternate with newly elected Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, RFK steered that there ought to be completely different vaccine schedules for black and white People.
“What completely different vaccine schedules would you say I ought to obtain?” requested Alsobrooks (D-Md.), who’s black.
“Articles counsel that blacks want fewer antigens,” Kennedy responded.
“That is so harmful,” she balked.
“It’s science,” Kennedy protested. “That is revealed peer-reviewed research.”
Trump’s HHS decide did, nonetheless, stroll again different statements he had made the day earlier than the Senate Finance Committee in his first affirmation listening to Wednesday.
“I by no means have mentioned that definitively Lyme illness was created in a biolab,” the Kennedy scion claimed — regardless of having instructed Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) within the Finance panel listening to that he “in all probability did” say it was “extremely probably a militarily engineered bioweapon.”
A number of Republicans — together with the libertarian-leaning Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin — urged their colleagues to method the vaccine debate with extra “nuance,” given how incorrect the federal authorities had been in regards to the efficacy of COVID vaccines.
“We don’t know what causes autism,” cautioned Paul, a health care provider whose specialty is ophthalmology. “Science is a dispute — and 10 years from now we may very well be incorrect.”
Mullin additionally pointed to the rising variety of vaccines on the toddler and baby immunization schedule put out by the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, saying that youngsters had been changing into a “pincushion” for no less than 72 vaccines earlier than maturity.
Kennedy appeared extra able to debate his detractors in his second listening to, although usually most popular to concentrate on his marketing campaign to get rid of persistent illness, the fallout from which, he mentioned, was “bankrupting our nation” on the excessive value of $4.5 trillion.
In different rounds of questioning from Republican senators, he dedicated to bringing medical provide traces again from China, appointing pro-life officers at HHS and combating the “nationwide safety danger” of weight problems.
“No nation did as poorly as us” through the COVID-19 pandemic, the HHS nominee famous. “We have now the sickest individuals on earth.”
In his closing remarks, Cassidy nonetheless cited considerations about Kennedy Jr.’s affirmation.
“We’re about the identical age,” he mentioned. “Does a 70-year-old man, 71-year-old man who has spent many years criticizing vaccines and who’s financially vested to find fault with vaccines — can he change his attitudes and method now that he’ll have a very powerful place influencing vaccine coverage in the US?
“Should you come out unequivocally — ‘vaccines are protected, it doesn’t trigger autism’ that might have an unbelievable influence,” the chairman instructed the nominee. “That’s your energy. So what’s it going to be?”
“I’m a Republican. I symbolize the superb state of Louisiana and as a patriotic American, I need President Trump’s insurance policies to reach making America and People safer, extra affluent, more healthy,” Cassidy continued.
“But when there may be somebody that isn’t vaccinated due to insurance policies or attitudes you convey to the division and there may be one other 18-year-old who dies of a vaccine-preventable illness, helicoptered away, God forbid dies, it’ll be blown up within the press,” he added.
“The best tragedy will likely be her dying, however I may inform you an related tragedy, will — that can forged a shadow over President Trump’s legacy, which I wish to be the very best legacy it may be.”
“That’s my dilemma,” Cassidy revealed, “and you might be listening to from me over the weekend.”
If confirmed by a easy majority vote within the Senate — throughout which solely three Republicans might vote in opposition to him — RFK will oversee important federal public well being profit applications equivalent to Medicare and Medicaid in addition to analysis efforts included within the the sprawling $1.7 trillion price range of HHS.
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