US President Donald Trump’s nominee to guide federal well being division says he’s ‘not anti-vaccine’ as Democrats zero in on his previous remarks.
Robert F Kennedy Jr has confronted a barrage of questions on his historical past of spreading anti-vaccine conspiracy theories throughout a contentious United States Senate listening to on his nomination to be President Donald Trump’s well being secretary.
Kennedy, who has been picked to guide the US Division of Well being and Human Companies (HHS), spent most of Wednesday’s listening to searching for to dispel the concept he’s “anti-vaccine”.
“Information reviews have claimed that I’m anti-vaccine and anti-industry — I’m neither. I’m pro-safety,” he informed the Senate Finance Committee.
“I consider that vaccines play a vital position in healthcare,” he added.
However Kennedy, a former environmental lawyer and son of the late US Senator Robert F Kennedy, has change into a politically polarising determine and one among Trump’s most controversial cupboard nominees.
Critics denounced him for a slew of previous false statements questioning the protection of vaccines, together with through the COVID-19 pandemic.
At first of Wednesday’s listening to, the highest Democrat on the panel, Senator Ron Wyden, mentioned Kennedy has “embraced conspiracy theories, quacks [and] charlatans, particularly in terms of security and efficacy of vaccines”.
“He has made it his life’s work to sow doubt and discourage mother and father from getting their youngsters life-saving vaccines. It has been profitable for him and put him on the verge of immense energy,” Wyden mentioned.
I simply pressed RFK Jr. on his stance on vaccines. It is a easy query, and the man Trump desires working our nation’s well being care system cannot give a straight reply. https://t.co/F98ThuX3q0
— Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) January 29, 2025
Different Democrats additionally pointed at a few of Kennedy’s previous statements to query his means to guide HHS, which oversees healthcare programmes within the nation.
Senator Michael Bennet requested the nominee about his prior assertion that the COVID-19 pandemic was engineered to focus on white and Black folks, whereas sparing Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese language folks.
Kennedy responded that he was citing federal analysis, with out elaborating.
Bennet additionally requested Kennedy a couple of declare that Lyme illness is “probably a militarily engineered bioweapon”.
“I most likely did say that,” Kennedy responded.
However Republicans, who management the 100-seat Senate, have largely supported Kennedy’s nomination.
All of Trump’s cupboard picks have been confirmed to this point, with Vice President JD Vance casting a tie-breaking vote final week to push by Pete Hegseth’s affirmation as the brand new head of the Pentagon.
Kennedy, who will face one other listening to earlier than a separate Senate committee on Thursday, wants 50 votes to be confirmed.
Reporting from Washington, DC, on Wednesday afternoon, Al Jazeera correspondent Mike Hanna famous that the listening to went largely as anticipated, with “softball questions” from Republicans and extra pointed queries from Democrats.
“Republicans look like completely in assist [of Kennedy’s nomination], though there have been some questions on his means to handle an enormous, sprawling insurance coverage system on this nation,” Hanna mentioned.
Kennedy was additionally pressed on his stance on abortion, Hanna added. Whereas his place has shifted over time, Kennedy mentioned on Wednesday that he would uphold the Trump administration’s abortion policies, together with on the supply of the capsule mifepristone.
Kennedy ran as an unbiased within the 2024 presidential race earlier than dropping out and endorsing Trump in August.
He mentioned on Wednesday that, if confirmed, he plans to ship on a promise to “Make America Wholesome Once more” — a play on Trump’s “Make America Nice Once more” slogan.
