Robert F. Kennedy Jr. went earlier than the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday to vie for his affirmation as President Trump’s secretary of Well being and Human Providers (HHS).
Kennedy is certainly one of Trump’s most controversial nominees. That’s partly due to his extremely skeptical perspective towards vaccines and what critics characterize as a keenness for pseudo-scientific conspiracy theories.
Kennedy is divisive for different causes as nicely. Some social conservatives are doubtful concerning the scion of the Democratic household, particularly the place his previous help for abortion rights is anxious.
In the meantime, lots of Kennedy’s prolonged members of the family are brazenly hostile to him. His cousin Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of former President Kennedy, described him as a “predator” who’s unfit for workplace in current days. Caroline’s son, Jack Schlossberg, has additionally been a vigorous critic.
Regardless of all that, Trump and his supporters are strongly behind Kennedy, who they need to spearhead an effort they’ve summed up within the slogan “Make America Wholesome Once more.”
Listed below are 5 takeaways from Wednesday listening to.
Vaccines had been central matter
Kennedy’s report on vaccines was all the time going to be on the coronary heart of the listening to.
The warmth of the costs thrown round and a number of the exchanges was notable.
One of the vital memorable sound bites of the day got here from Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), who advised Kennedy, “Frankly, you frighten folks.”
Whitehouse additionally insisted that it was incumbent upon Kennedy to ship “a transparent and reliable recantation of what you will have stated on vaccinations.”
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) cited a podcast interview from July 2020 wherein Kennedy stated “no vaccine is secure and efficient.”
In a tense alternate, Kennedy insisted that quote had been taken out of context, that he had repeatedly corrected misconceptions that had arisen from it and that Wyden was being “dishonest.”
In a gap assertion that clearly anticipated the assaults to come back, Kennedy stated, “Information experiences have claimed that I’m anti-vaccine or anti-industry. I’m neither. I’m pro-safety.”
However even at that second, his phrases had been interrupted by a protester who accused him of mendacity.
Abortion rears its head
The unease about Kennedy’s previous positions on abortion rights is predominantly a difficulty on the fitting, however it was largely Democrats who drew consideration to these views — presumably to forged Kennedy as slippery and, within the course of, make issues troublesome for Republicans.
Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) famous Kennedy’s assertion from 2023 that he was “pro-choice.”
Hassan added that it was “actually nice that my Republican colleagues are so open to voting for a pro-choice HHS secretary.”
However she additionally stated Kennedy had beforehand acknowledged bodily autonomy was certainly one of his core values.
“When was it that you simply determined to promote out the values you had your entire life with a purpose to be given energy by President Trump?” she requested.
“I agree with President Trump that each abortion is a tragedy,” Kennedy responded.
Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) additionally famous he and Kennedy had “some disagreements” on the abortion problem.
Kennedy once more reiterated his help for Trump’s positions and added that he agreed with the president in his perception that the U.S. “can’t be an ethical nation if we’ve 1.2 million abortions a 12 months.”
“Are you supportive of those onesies?”
One of many extra sudden moments got here courtesy of 83-year-old Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and two onesies for infants.
The onesies in query had been proven in giant pictures behind the Vermont senator. One bore the slogan “Unvaxed, Unafraid,” whereas the opposite acknowledged “No vax, no downside.”
Sanders stated the onesies had been being offered by Youngsters’s Well being Protection, which Kennedy based.
Sanders complained it was inconsistent on Kennedy’s half to painting himself as pro-vaccine whereas “your group is making a living promoting a toddler’s product to oldsters, for 26 bucks, which casts basic doubt on the usefulness of vaccines.”
Sanders requested Kennedy to cease the group from promoting the product.
Kennedy contended he had “no energy over that group” as a result of he had resigned from the board.
Sanders famous Kennedy’s resignation was current — it occurred simply final month — and pressed on.
“Are you supportive of those onesies?” Sanders demanded.
“I’m supportive of vaccines,” Kennedy countered.
The second shortly went viral on social media.
Some stumbles on Medicare and Medicaid
The back-and-forth between Kennedy and Democratic senators was largely anticipated.
Extra shocking was the nominee’s misfires on Medicare and Medicaid.
Maybe most obviously, Kennedy contended that Medicaid was paid for in its entirety by the federal authorities. It isn’t. States additionally pay a number of the price.
He additionally made the peculiar cost that premiums had been too excessive in this system. With extraordinarily uncommon exceptions, Medicaid recipients don’t pay premiums.
One of the vital uncomfortable moments Kennedy suffered at Republican arms got here when Sen. Invoice Cassidy (R-La.) pressed him for specifics on how he would reform Medicaid.
Kennedy gave a reasonably common and broad-based reply, and maybe extra problematically appeared sick comfy with the query.
Did it change something?
The listening to allowed Democrats to land some blows on Kennedy. However there was no single second that appeared devastating to his probabilities.
His private life, which features a earlier heroin dependancy that Kennedy has spoken about, was largely left untouched.
Kennedy is again on Capitol Hill on Thursday to testify earlier than the Senate Committee on Well being, Schooling, Labor and Pensions.
Crucially, Cassidy is the chair of that panel. Cassidy, a doctor, “labored for over 25 years within the Louisiana charity hospital system,” in keeping with his official biography on the committee’s web site. He has appeared lukewarm towards Kennedy to date.
Cassidy’s vote might be essential to Kennedy’s final destiny.
No Trump nominee can afford to lose greater than three GOP senators, assuming all Democrats vote towards affirmation.
Three Republicans voted towards Pete Hegseth to be secretary of Protection: Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska).
McConnell, a polio survivor, has appeared implicitly essential of Kennedy at occasions. Collins and Murkowski are broadly seen as the 2 most reasonable Republican senators, and will vote towards Kennedy.
That’s why Cassidy might finally be the make-or-break vote.
