4 days ago
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Two of President Donald Trump's astir susceptible medication picks volition get back-to-back confirmation hearings successful the Senate this week.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who Trump nominated to beryllium Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), and erstwhile Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, whom helium selected to beryllium Director of National Intelligence (DNI), volition person committee confirmation hearings connected Wednesday and Thursday.
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On Wednesday, Kennedy volition person his archetypal proceeding with the Senate Finance Committee, who volition yet ballot connected whether to beforehand his information to the afloat Senate. He volition person an further proceeding connected Thursday with the Senate Committee connected Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), but that committee volition not person a ballot connected the nomination.
Gabbard's proceeding with the Senate Select Committee connected Intelligence volition instrumentality spot Thursday morning.
The 2 Trump picks were immoderate of the much arguable medication selections. Both Kennedy and Gabbard are erstwhile Democrats with histories of argumentation positions that clash with what galore Republican senators believe.
At contented for lawmakers connected some sides is Kennedy's past of important disapproval of vaccines and vaccination programs. For immoderate Republicans whose states person a ample farming constituency, his positions connected further regulating agriculture and nutrient accumulation person been origin for concern.
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Gabbard's past argumentation stances arsenic they subordinate to nationalist information person fixed bipartisan lawmakers immoderate crushed for pause, since the relation she is nominated for is captious to the nation's information and defense.
Both of the nominees person taken steps to mean themselves amid the confirmation process. Kennedy has pushed backmost connected suggestions that helium is "anti-vaccine" and explained, "If vaccines are moving for somebody, I’m not going to instrumentality them away."
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"People ought to person choice, and that prime ought to beryllium informed by the champion information," helium said successful an interrogation with NBC News. "So I’m going to marque definite technological information studies and efficacy are retired there, and radical tin marque idiosyncratic assessments astir whether that merchandise is going to beryllium bully for them."
Gabbard precocious made a singular reversal connected a arguable quality instrumentality utilized by the government. And her prime to alteration her presumption connected the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act's (FISA) conception 702 managed to triumph her the backing of a Republican legislator connected the intel committee that she volition request to beforehand retired of.
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Recently asked whether her alteration of bosom connected conception 702 had earned his vote, Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., said, "Yeah, I am, and that was a precise important portion for me."
While some nominees person gotten immoderate indispensable Republican backing successful the applicable committees, not everyone has said whether they volition ballot to beforehand the selections. And adjacent if they are voted retired of the committees, they could inactive look an uphill conflict to beryllium confirmed by the afloat Senate.
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