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The back-to-back combustible Senate confirmation hearings are over.
But Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump's nominee for caput of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), inactive faces important committee and afloat Senate confirmation votes successful his ngo to pb 18 almighty national agencies that oversee the nation's nutrient and health.
Testifying successful beforehand of the Senate Finance Committee connected Wednesday and the Health Committee connected Thursday, the vaccine skeptic and biology crusader who ran for the White House successful 2024 earlier ending his bid and endorsing Trump faced plentifulness of verbal fireworks implicit past arguable comments.
And portion astir of the pugnacious questions and sparring implicit his stances connected vaccines, abortion, Medicaid and different issues, came from Democrats connected the 2 committees, Thursday's proceeding ended with the apical Republican connected the Health sheet saying helium was "struggling" with Kennedy's nomination.
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"Your past of undermining assurance successful vaccines with unfounded oregon misleading arguments concerns me," GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy told the nominee.
The doc from Louisiana, who is simply a important ballot and who has voiced concerns implicit Kennedy's past stance connected vaccines, asked whether Kennedy tin "be trusted to enactment the champion nationalist health."
And the legislator told Kennedy, who seeks to pb cardinal wellness agencies similar the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, that "you whitethorn beryllium proceeding from maine implicit the weekend."
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Kennedy faced 2 days of grilling implicit his arguable past comments, including his repeated claims successful caller years linking vaccines to autism, which person been debunked by technological research.
And Democrats person besides spotlighted Kennedy's work for years arsenic seat oregon main ineligible counsel for Children's Health Defense, the nonprofit enactment helium founded that has advocated against vaccines and sued the national authorities galore times, including a situation implicit the authorization of the COVID vaccine for children.
One of Thursday's astir heated exchanges came arsenic autarkic Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont pushed Kennedy implicit his past of linking vaccines to autism.
Sanders stated that "vaccines bash not origin autism" and asked Kennedy "do you hold with that?"
After the nominee didn't answer, Sanders responded, "I asked you a elemental question, Bobby."
Kennedy replied, "Senator, if you amusement maine those studies, I volition perfectly … apologize."
"That is simply a precise troubling effect due to the fact that the studies are there. Your occupation was to person looked astatine those studies arsenic an applicant for this job," Sanders said.
Later successful the hearing, the 2 besides clashed implicit governmental contributions to the pharmaceutical industry, with Kennedy referring to Sanders simply arsenic "Bernie."
"Almost each the members of this panel, including yourself, are accepting millions of dollars from the pharmaceutical manufacture and protecting their interests," Kennedy said.
Sanders instantly pushed back, "I ran for president similar you. I got millions and millions of contributions. They did not travel from the executives, not 1 nickel of PAC [political enactment committee] wealth from the pharmaceutical [companies]. They came from workers."
Another fiery infinitesimal came arsenic Democrat Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire appeared to combat backmost tears arsenic she noted her son's struggles with cerebral palsy amid accusations that "partisanship" was down the Democrats' blistering questions to Kennedy.
Hassan, who astatine Wednesday's proceeding charged that Kennedy "sold out" to Trump by altering his presumption connected abortion, connected Thursday accused the nominee of "relitigating settled science."
But galore of the Republicans connected the sheet came to Kennedy's defense, including blimpish Sen. Rand Paul.
The ophthalmologist from Kentucky defended Kennedy and took purpose astatine comments astir vaccines not causing autism.
"We don’t cognize what causes autism, truthful we should beryllium much humble," Paul said to applause from Kennedy supporters successful the committee country assemblage wearing "Make America Healthy Again" garb.
The 71-year-old Kennedy, a scion of the nation's astir storied governmental dynasty, launched a long-shot run for the Democrat statesmanlike information against President Joe Biden successful April 2023. But six months later, helium switched to an autarkic tally for the White House.
Kennedy made large headlines again past August erstwhile helium dropped his statesmanlike bid and endorsed Trump. While Kennedy had agelong identified arsenic a Democrat and repeatedly invoked his precocious father, erstwhile Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, and his precocious uncle, erstwhile President John F. Kennedy – who were some assassinated successful the 1960s – Kennedy successful caller years built relationships with far-right leaders owed successful portion to his high-profile vaccine skepticism.
Trump announced soon aft the November predetermination that helium would nominate Kennedy to his Cabinet to tally HHS.
Kennedy, whose outspoken views connected Big Pharma and the nutrient manufacture person besides sparked controversy, has said helium aims to displacement the absorption of the agencies helium would oversee toward promotion of a steadfast lifestyle, including overhauling dietary guidelines, taking purpose astatine ultra-processed foods and getting to the basal causes of chronic diseases.
"Our state is not going to beryllium destroyed due to the fact that we get the marginal taxation complaint wrong. It is going to beryllium destroyed if we get this contented wrong," Kenendy said Thursday arsenic helium pointed to chronic diseases. "And I americium successful a unsocial presumption to beryllium capable to halt this epidemic."
The Finance Committee, which volition determine connected whether to nonstop Kennedy's information to the afloat Senate, has yet to docket a day for a confirmation vote.
With Republicans controlling the Senate by a 53-47 majority, Kennedy tin lone spend to suffer the enactment of 3 GOP senators if Democrats unite against his confirmation.
And too Cassidy, 2 different Republicans connected the Health Committee – Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska – are imaginable "no" votes connected Kennedy.
Collins connected Thursday questioned Kennedy astir vaccines, herd immunity arsenic good arsenic his views connected Lyme disease. Kenendy pledged that there's "nobody who volition combat harder for a attraction for Lyme disease."
A 50-50 ballot successful the afloat Senate would unit Vice President JD Vance to service arsenic the tiebreaker to propulsion the Kennedy information implicit the top, arsenic the vice president did past week with the confirmation of different arguable nominee, now-Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
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