Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), will appear on Jan. 29 at a confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Finance, which oversees HHS.
On Jan. 30, Kennedy will attend a forum hosted by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
While the former Democrat and independent presidential candidate will face questions from both panels, only the Senate Finance Committee will vote on whether to advance him to a full Senate floor vote.
Kennedy must get a simple majority to gain confirmation. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the chamber.
Grassroots organizations and some lawmakers praise Kennedy’s stance on vaccine safety, removing chemicals from America’s food supply, and ending what he calls corporate capture of government health agencies.
Various health advocacy groups, many Democrat elected officials, and select Republican legislators question the nominee’s views on those topics and other issues. Some of them have called him “dangerous.”
An environmental lawyer and founder of Children’s Health Defense, Kennedy ran for president as a Democrat and then as an independent before leaving the race in August 2024 and backing Trump.
Fighting chronic disease, improving children’s health, and addressing corporate influence on government agencies were vital parts of Kennedy’s campaign platform.
If confirmed, he would head a department that manages 13 agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Kennedy has promised significant changes throughout the department.
He has repeatedly said little will change until the influence of giant or private corporations on the FDA, the CDC, and the Department of Agriculture is addressed.
He has also vowed to lead efforts to remove chemicals in ultra-processed foods.
Kennedy has called for a review of pharmaceutical company advertising rules multiple times this year and has urged Trump to ban pharmaceutical advertising on TV. He also believes in eliminating liability protections for drug companies.
At the hearings, Kennedy is expected to field questions about his stance on vaccines, fluoride in drinking water, food safety, and abortion, among other topics.
Supporters and Detractors
Opinions about Kennedy are mixed.He has gained support from Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), and Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), among others.
In December 2024, the congressional Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) caucus was formed to cultivate partnerships with local, state, and federal officials who are interested in MAHA initiatives.
The founding members are Sens. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.).
Sayer Ji, founder of the Global Wellness Forum, told The Epoch Times on Jan. 28 that the hearings “aren’t just political moments“ but also ”a turning point in history where the people’s voice may finally triumph over predatory globalism.”
Anthony Lyons, co-founder of American Values, a Kennedy-aligned PAC, called Kennedy “a corruption fighter like his uncle and his father.”
“He will bring gold standard science to replace the corporate capture that has led to the chronic disease epidemic,” he said.
Critics are especially vocal about Kennedy’s views on vaccines, even as he has advocated for safety and informed consent.
“I’ve never been anti-vaccine. People should have a choice, and that choice should be informed by the best information possible,“ Kennedy told The Epoch Times in September 2024. ”I’m going to ensure that there are science-based safety studies available, and people can make their own assessments about whether a vaccine is good for them.”
Sen Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said earlier this week: “We can’t trust RFK Jr. to protect our health. There is nothing in his record to show we can trust him.”
Protect Our Care, a progressive advocacy group, announced in December 2024 that its “Stop RFK War Room” effort included a multi-media campaign across several states urging senators to oppose Kennedy’s nomination.
Peter G. Lurie, president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said in a statement, “Nominating an anti-vaxxer like Kennedy to HHS is like putting a Flat Earther at the head of NASA.”
“He wants to be sure that information about them is transparent so people can make up their own minds. He’s not trying to stop other people from having vaccines,” Lummis said. “I’m very comfortable with his position on vaccines.”
Abortion is one of the most widely discussed issues surrounding Kennedy’s potential role as HHS secretary.
Days later, Kennedy clarified his stance and said that abortion should be “unrestricted up until a certain point” and advocated for policies to reduce more abortions in the United States “by choice than by force.”
Last year, Kennedy told The Epoch Times that he did not like abortion personally, but he did not think the government should have “jurisdiction over people’s bodies.”
Former Vice President Mike Pence has said that Republican senators should not vote to confirm Kennedy because of his abortion stance. Pence’s advocacy group, Advancing American Freedom, has emerged as one of the most outspoken critics of Kennedy’s HHS secretary nomination.
Earlier in January, the organization sent a letter to senators asking them to vote against confirming Kennedy.
During his meetings with Republican senators last month, Kennedy said he would support Trump’s agenda.
After meeting with Kennedy on Dec. 17, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) wrote on X, “He committed to me to reinstate President Trump’s pro-life policies at HHS. That includes reinstating the Mexico City policy & ending taxpayer funding for abortions domestically.”
Hawley added that Kennedy said he would support a ban on “Title X funds going to organizations that promote abortion” and pledged that all of his HHS deputies would have a pro-life stance.
