Robert F Kennedy Jr.'s confirmation hearing for Secretary of Health and Human Services was a spectacle, with Democrats struggling to reconcile his vaccine skepticism with his potential leadership role.
Robert F Kennedy Jr. 's testimony before the Senate finance committee on Wednesday was a surreal experience for some lawmakers as they questioned one of the nation's most prominent vaccine critics for a position as the top US health official.
The hearing showcased the rapid integration of the 'Make America Healthy Again' agenda into Republican platforms, with Kennedy, lauded just hours earlier by his cousin in a letter, being presented as the ideal candidate to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Even the letter, which described Kennedy's unorthodox methods of feeding his birds of prey (baby chicks and mice blended into a meal), might have been disqualifying in earlier political eras. Dominated by nominees, executive orders, and new laws, Kennedy's hearing was another spectacle where determined Democrats attempted to hold a mirror to the nominee, but he seemed to effortlessly pass through. 'We are truly through the looking glass this morning in the Senate here,' stated Colorado Democratic Senator Michael Bennet. He later added, 'Unlike other jobs we confirm around this place, this job is life and death.'If confirmed, Kennedy would oversee HHS, an agency with a $1.8 trillion budget that manages the world's leading pharmaceutical regulatory agency (the Food and Drug Administration), the public health agency (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), the world's largest publicly funded biomedical research branch, and directly insures 145 million people on Medicare and Medicaid, including tens of millions of children. Kennedy, a seasoned environmental lawyer and member of a political dynasty, previously led the Children's Health Defense, a non-profit organization recognized by experts as one of the world's leading disseminators of vaccine misinformation. Before running for president (initially as a Democrat and later as an Independent) in 2024, he ended his campaign and endorsed Trump before the November election.Republicans, such as Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, praised Kennedy for his ability to 'set aside' political differences to address the nation's challenges. Kennedy's supporters cheered from the gallery at various instances of such affirmations. 'Thank you for your decades-long advocacy for a clean environment, for children's health,' said Johnson on Wednesday, who, like Kennedy, has faced criticism. 'I can't say I'm surprised by their hostility on the other side – I'm highly disappointed by it,' the senator stated. Democrats, however, questioned how the American people could trust someone who had recently run for president only to reverse his stance on at least one crucial issue – abortion – and display obsequious deference to the new administration. 'We have no shortage of challenges to confront, and I even agree with Mr. Kennedy on some of the diagnoses,' said Bennet, who, as a Denver public schools superintendent, observed young people with increasing anxiety. 'What is so disturbing to me is out of 330 million Americans, we are being asked to put somebody in this job who spent 50 years of his life … peddling in half-truths, peddling in false statements, peddling in theories that create doubt about whether or not things that we know are safe are unsafe. And he says it with such conviction you believe him!' Bennet's subsequent line of questioning exemplified the hearing: 'Did you say Lyme's disease is highly likely a militarily engineered bioweapon?' 'Did you say exposure to pesticides causes children to be transgender?' asked Bennet. 'No, I never said that,' said Kennedy, even though he did, in fact, link gender identity to pesticide exposure without evidence. 'Did you say on a podcast, and I quote, 'I wouldn't leave it to the states. My belief is we should leave it to the woman. We shouldn’t have the government involved – even if it’s full term,’” asked Bennet. And so it continued for nearly four hours, as Kennedy repeatedly asserted that he would restore American scientific institutions to a 'gold standard' if he were confirmed, even as he expressed support for investigating issues widely considered settled in the scientific community. 'We need to understand the safety of every drug – mifepristone and every other drug,' Kennedy stated regarding the abortion drug, adding he had been asked to 'to look at the safety issues' by the administration. Kennedy also repeatedly confused Medicare and Medicaid, the programs that provide health insurance for seniors and low-income individuals, respectively
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