Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took a step closer to becoming secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services on Feb. 4 when the Senate Finance Committee advanced his nomination to the Senate floor for a full vote with a 14-13 tally.
Criticized by Democrats for their perception of his stance on vaccines, and questioned by some Republicans who have expressed concern over his views about abortion, the former Democrat and independent presidential candidate must get a simple majority to gain confirmation.
Some Republicans, including Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), had voiced their dismay over Kennedy’s comments about vaccines. Republicans such as Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) were uneasy over his views on abortion.
Republicans hold a 53–47 majority in the chamber. The full Senate vote is expected to happen next week.
Kennedy appeared before the Senate Committee on Finance on Jan. 29 for his first confirmation hearing as President Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
He was questioned by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) on Jan. 30.
At the Senate Finance Committee hearing, Kennedy entered the chamber to applause from supporters in the audience and shook hands with lawmakers before taking a seat. He received a similar reaction the next day when he appeared before the HELP committee.
Both hearings showcased a sharp division between the parties over Kennedy’s views. Most Republicans praised Kennedy for his past advocacy work and his emphasis on addressing the nation’s chronic disease epidemic, while Democrats criticized the founder of the Children’s Health Defense (CHD) for his stance on vaccine efficacy. Kennedy told the Finance Committee that he was no longer part of CHD and resigned from its board.
Fighting chronic disease, improving children’s health, and addressing corporate influence on government agencies have been vital parts of Kennedy’s platform.
If confirmed, he would head a department that manages 13 agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health.
On Feb. 2, several Democrat lawmakers said that Kennedy should commit to avoiding all decisions related to vaccines if he becomes HHS secretary.
Wyden and Warren had heated exchanges with Kennedy at the Senate Finance Committee hearing.
Warren appeared to suggest that Kennedy was profiteering based on his involvement with a law firm that has brought suits against drug companies, saying that he had “raked in two and a half million dollars” in compensation.
Warren asked Kennedy if he would agree not to take compensation from lawsuits against drug companies while in office and for four years after.
“You’re asking me to not sue drug companies,” Kennedy said, adding that he was not going to agree to refrain from bringing lawsuits as secretary.
Kennedy told Wyden that he was interrupted by Fridman during the podcast.
“He asked me are there vaccines that are safe and effective? And I said to him some of the live virus vaccines are. And I said, there are no vaccines that are safe and effective, and I was going to continue for every person, every medicine has people who are sensitive to them, including vaccines,” Kennedy told Wyden.
“[Fridman] interrupted me at that point. I’ve corrected it many times, including on national TV. You know about this, Sen. Wyden, so bringing this up right now is dishonest.”
Wyden was one of several Democrats who portrayed Kennedy as a profiteer who had changed his position on vaccines and abortion in order to gain political power.
“Mr. Kennedy has embraced conspiracy theories, quacks, charlatans, especially when it comes to the safety and efficacy of vaccines,” Wyden said. “It has been lucrative for him, put him on the verge of immense power.”
In his opening statement, Kennedy said that reports have claimed that he is anti-vaccine or anti-industry.
“I am neither; I am pro-safety. I worked for years to raise awareness about the mercury and toxic chemicals in fish, and nobody called me anti-fish,” Kennedy said. “I believe that vaccines play a critical role in health care. All of my kids are vaccinated. I believe vaccines have saved millions of lives and play a critical role in health care.”
Kennedy reiterated that he advocates for vaccine safety, “gold standard science,” and informed consent.
In both hearings, Kennedy addressed the conflict of interests for lawmakers receiving donations from pharmaceutical companies, which data from the watchdog group OpenSecrets confirms.
Many of the senators “who are defending the current system” are taking “huge amounts of money from the pharmaceutical industry, millions of dollars for many of these senators,” Kennedy said at the HELP committee forum.
“This is not making our country healthier. It’s making us sicker. We need to get rid of these conflicts. We need good science and we need good leadership that is able to stand up to these big industries and not bend over for them.”
During the Senate Finance Committee hearing, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) suggested that Kennedy would be a “rubber stamp” for Trump’s agenda.
Kennedy responded that he was nominated because he was uniquely positioned to end the nation’s “chronic disease epidemic.”
“Senator, all of the other disputes we have about who’s paying and whether it’s insurance companies, whether it’s providers, whether it’s HMOs, whether it’s patients or families, all of those are moving deck chairs around on the Titanic,” Kennedy said. “Our ship is sinking.”
During the confirmation hearings, Kennedy sought to remove the concerns of some Republicans about his views on abortion.
Kennedy affirmed that he would follow the administration’s policies on abortion despite being a longtime supporter of abortion access as an advocate for bodily autonomy.
Kennedy said he agreed with Trump on several aspects of the abortion debate and would follow the president’s lead.
“I agree with [President Trump] that we cannot be a moral nation if we have 1.2 million abortions a year. I agree with him that the states should control abortion,” Kennedy said. “President Trump has told me that he wants to end late-term abortions, and he wants to protect conscience exemptions, and that he wants to end federal funding for abortions here or abroad. ... I serve at the pleasure of the president. I’m going to implement his policies.”
