By Noah Weiland and Sheryl Gay Stolberg
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s nominee for health secretary, faced more than three hours of hostile questioning from lawmakers in his first confirmation hearing Wednesday, displaying limited knowledge of critical health programs he would oversee as he tried to reject accusations that he is “anti-vaccine.”
“I am pro-safety,” said Kennedy, whose long history of questioning the safety of vaccines helped him build a large national following. He told senators that he had been mistakenly labeled anti-vaccine in news reports.
He was quickly interrupted by a protester in the audience who shouted, “He lies!”
Kennedy’s appearance before the Senate Finance Committee, his first of two hearings, quickly gave way to a series of angry, argumentative exchanges with Democrats on the panel, some of whom asked Kennedy whether he still stood by anti-vaccine comments he had made in the past.
Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., said that “out of 330 million Americans, we’re being asked to put somebody in this job who has spent 50 years of his life” spreading “half-truths, peddling in false statements, peddling in theories that, you know, create doubt about whether or not things that we know are safe are unsafe.”
His voice rising, Bennet read a series of Kennedy’s past statements back to him, including his claim that COVID-19 was engineered to target Black and white people but spare Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people.
In another notable exchange, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., displayed large photos of baby onesies sold by Children’s Health Defense, the nonprofit Kennedy founded, that say, “No Vax, No Problem.”
“Are you supportive of these onesies?” Sanders demanded, to laughter from the crowd.
Kennedy tried to distance himself from the organization, saying he had stepped down from his role when Trump nominated him.
Many Republicans on the panel Wednesday praised Kennedy as a rebellious truth-teller, saying they supported his crusade to improve child health as part of a movement known as Make America Healthy Again. Kennedy repeatedly tried to steer the hearing to less controversial arguments about improving the quality of the nation’s food supply and cutting down on the prevalence of chronic health conditions, ideas that he has drawn expert and bipartisan support for.
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who appeared sympathetic to Kennedy’s nomination, asked him whether he was a conspiracy theorist, a label frequently applied to him.
Kennedy said that term was a “pejorative” that had been used by his critics “to keep me from asking difficult questions of powerful interests.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., noted Kennedy’s practice of accusing his foes of being motivated by financial gain. She accused him of profiteering from vaccine skepticism, pointing to a financial stake he has in litigation against vaccine maker Merck — and his intention to hold on to it even if he gains regulatory power over the company as health secretary.
“Kids might die,” Warren said. “But Robert Kennedy can keep cashing in.”
Kennedy faced tough questioning from a Republican whose vote will be critical to his confirmation. He stumbled over basic facts as Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., quizzed him on his knowledge of Medicare and Medicaid, which cover more than 100 million older and low-income Americans.
Kennedy at one point described Medicaid’s premiums and deductibles as being too high when, except in very rare cases, the program’s enrollees do not pay either of those types of fees. Cassidy looked on with a skeptical expression.
The exchange with Cassidy, a physician who faces a primary challenge for his seat next year, could be ominous for Kennedy’s chances, if three other Republicans join to sink his nomination. Cassidy did not commit to voting for Kennedy after the two met recently, and has said that Kennedy is “wrong” about vaccines. He will lead a second confirmation hearing Thursday with Kennedy in the Senate health committee.
Abortion policy, which some Republican lawmakers have approached warily with Kennedy, also came up repeatedly during the hearing. Kennedy said that Trump had asked him to study the safety of the abortion pill mifepristone.
“Whatever he does, I will implement those policies, and I will work with this committee to make those policies make sense,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy’s unorthodox views on a range of matters — not just vaccines, but fluoridated water (he opposes it) to raw milk (he embraces it, though federal regulators say it is dangerous) — have made him one of Trump’s most polarizing Cabinet picks. They have also made him a hero to many Americans who say that corporate influence in American government has corrupted oversight of food and vaccines.
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