Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump’s nominee for Well being and Human Companies (HHS) secretary, sat via his second Senate affirmation listening to in as many days on Thursday, along with his probabilities of being confirmed showing much less sure by the tip.
Democrats on the the Senate Well being, Training, Labor and Pensions Committee as soon as once more hammered Kennedy for selling misinformation about vaccines, and his refusal to again down from these positions appeared to hassle even some Republicans on the panel.
Kennedy was additionally requested about his stance on GLP-1 medicine and emergency abortion entry, whereas once more conveying a shaky grasp on the companies he would oversee.
Listed here are 5 key takeaways:
Cassidy houses in on vaccines and autism
Well being Committee Chair Invoice Cassidy (R-La.), a doctor, made it clear he had “reservations” about Kennedy’s beliefs on vaccines inflicting autism and his long-documented skepticism on their efficacy.
The Louisiana senator was in search of some reassurance from Kennedy on this concern, however the HHS nominee supplied little to quell Cassidy’s issues.
In each his opening and shutting remarks, Cassidy recalled a former affected person, an 18-year-old girl, who was affected by hepatitis B-induced liver failure that might have been prevented by a vaccine.
“Since then, I try to do everything I can to make sure I never have to speak to another parent about their child dying due to a vaccine preventable disease,” Cassidy stated.
“As a physician who’s been involved in immunization programs, I’ve seen the benefits of vaccinations. I know they save lives,” he added. “I know they’re a crucial part of keeping our nation healthy.”
Kennedy stated he would change his beliefs if introduced with information proving him unsuitable, saying he would go so far as to “apologize for any statements that misled people.” In the direction of the tip of the listening to, Cassidy introduced Kennedy with a 2014 meta-analysis which concluded vaccines will not be related to autism.
Kennedy pushed again, saying he may level to research that instructed there was a hyperlink.
“I just want to follow the science,” stated Kennedy. “There’s many times I’ve been wrong about science.”
Cassidy stated it could be “incredible” if Kennedy got here out in unequivocal help for vaccines and clarified there isn’t any hyperlink to autism.
“I’ve been struggling with your nomination,” Cassidy advised Kennedy on the finish of the listening to.
“There’s a 70-year-old man, 71-year-old man, who spent decades criticizing vaccines and was financially vested in finding fault with vaccines,” stated Cassidy. “Can he change his attitudes and approach now that he’ll have the most important position influencing vaccine policy in the United States?”
RFK Jr. tangled with Sanders
Essentially the most heated a part of the listening to occurred when HELP Committee Rating Member Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) pressed Kennedy on reducing prescription drug prices, a difficulty he championed as chair of the committee.
“If we want to make America healthy, will you assure the American people that you will fight to do what every other major country on Earth does, guarantee health care to every single American?” Sanders requested Kennedy.
Kennedy stated corruption resulting in excessive drug prices existed in Congress in addition to the pharmaceutical trade, accusing Sanders of being the only largest marketing campaign beneficiary of pharmaceutical {dollars}.
Sanders furiously shot again at this accusation saying, “I got millions and millions of contributions. They did not come from the executives, not one nickel of PAC money for the pharmaceutical industry. They came from workers.”
In keeping with Open Secrets and techniques, Sanders obtained $115,690 from the pharmaceutical trade between 2019 and 2024. All of those {dollars} are recorded as coming from people.
Kennedy claimed Sanders obtained $1.5 million from the pharmaceutical trade, to which the Vermont senator quipped, “Yeah, out of $200 million.”
Hassan acquired choked up speaking about son
Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) confronted Kennedy’s help for linking vaccines to autism via her personal private expertise.
Visibly emotional, she blasted Kennedy’s rhetoric as being dangerous to creating progress on higher understanding autism.
“Some of you are new to this committee and new to the Senate, so you may not know that I am the proud mother of a 36-year-old young man with severe cerebral palsy,” stated Hassan. “And a day does not go by when I think about what did I do when I was pregnant with him that might have caused the hydrocephalus that has so impacted his life?”
“So, please do not suggest that anybody in this body of either political party doesn’t want to know what the cause of autism is,” Hassan continued.
“The problem with this witness’s response on the autism cause and the relationship to vaccines is because he’s relitigating and churning settled science. So, we can’t go forward and find out what the cause of autism is and treat these kids and help these families.”
Kennedy says emergency care contains abortions
Regardless of talking in favor of abortion entry up to now, Kennedy has since aligned his views with Trump, repeatedly saying he believes “every abortion is a tragedy.”
When requested about insurance policies relating to abortion, Kennedy stated quite a few instances on Thursday that he would observe what Trump’s insurance policies find yourself being.
Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), nonetheless, sought solutions on how Kennedy personally believed some abortion measures ought to be dealt with.
Blunt Rochester requested whether or not Kennedy would help the Emergency Medical Therapy and Labor Act (EMTALA), a federal legislation that requires that hospitals supply an abortion if deemed essential to stabilize a affected person with a situation that threatens their life or well being.
“Do you agree that a person who is experiencing severe pregnancy complications should be able to receive emergency care to save their life, if that care is an abortion?” Blunt Rochester requested Kennedy.
Kennedy initially tried to level to Trump’s coverage on the problem, however Blunt Rochester pressed the HHS nominee on whether or not he himself believes pregnant ladies ought to have entry to abortions if essential to avoid wasting their lives.
“If it’s required to save their life,” stated Kennedy.
Obvious lack of expertise about Medicare
One prevailing remark from Democrats was that Kennedy had an obvious lack of expertise of how federal well being insurance policies work.
When requested by Cassidy on Wednesday how he’d oversee Medicare and Medicaid, Kennedy appeared to confuse the 2. Kennedy described Medicaid as “fully paid for by the federal government,” when in actuality it’s financed by a mixture of state and federal funding.
“Yesterday during your finance hearing, and today, you confused details about Medicare and Medicaid. You didn’t know what authorities you have under [EMTALA],” Blunt Rochester famous.
Hassan quizzed Kennedy on what Medicare Half A, B and C cowl.
Kennedy stated Medicare Half A covers main care when it in reality covers inpatient care throughout hospital stays.
He described Medicare Half B as protecting “physicians and doctors.” Half B covers medically essential companies and provides in addition to preventive companies.
Kennedy described Medicare Half C as “a program where it gets the full menu of all the services; A, B, C and D for Medicare.” Medicare Half C is probably higher often called Medicare Benefit, a program wherein permitted personal insurance coverage are supplied as an alternative choice to unique Medicare.
“Mr. Kennedy, you want us to confirm you to be in charge of Medicare, but it appears that you don’t know the basics of this program,” Hassan stated.
