(WASHINGTON)– Donald Trump has promised he’d let Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “go wild” on health, food and medicine as head of the Department of Health and Human Services.
He now faces two separate confirmation grillings over his controversial views — on everything from vaccines to abortion — that have both Republicans and Democrats raising concerns.
He’s appearing Wednesday before the Senate Finance Committee and then on Thursday before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
Protesters disrupt RFK opening statement
A group of protesters shouted after RFK Jr. repeated his claim that he was not anti-vaccine.
“You are,” protesters shouted before being taking out of the hearing.
Kennedy’s inexperience in public health administration likely to be a focal point
Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden said in his opening statement that Kennedy has “virtually no knowledge or experience in handling these issues.”
Kennedy is a longtime environmental lawyer who has not worked in public health administration or medicine.
Republican Sen. Mike Crapo, chairman of the committee, took a moment before Kennedy’s opening statement to speak on Kennedy’s background, noting his education from Harvard and the London School of Economics as well as his involvement in different advocacy groups.
Democrat Wyden slams RFK over vaccine stance
Sen. Ron Wyden, the ranking member on the committee, used his opening statement to come out against RFK especially with his stances on vaccines.
The Democratic senator cited Kennedy’s role with working with officials with Samoa during a 2019 measles outbreak. Wyden said 83 Samoans died in that outbreak.
“Americans can not afford to import this experiment to our great nation,” Wyden said.
RFK Jr. can only afford to lose 3 Republican votes
To win confirmation, Kennedy can only afford to lose three Republican votes — assuming all Democrats oppose him.
So far, no Democrats have publicly said they’ll be supporting his nomination.
Some Republicans to watch include Mitch McConnell, a polio survivor, and Bill Cassidy, who has said he believes Kennedy is “wrong” on vaccines.
Vice President JD Vance has been lobbying senators behind closed doors to support Kennedy, ABC News previously reported. A spokesperson for Vance did not respond to a request for comment.
Kennedy could be questioned on profit from anti-vaccine lawsuit
According to financial disclosure documents, Kennedy’s primary source of income in the past year was large sums of referral fees from multiple law firms, including one that is leading a civil lawsuit against Merck’s Gardasil vaccine.
Democrat Elizabeth Warren, who sits on the finance committee that will be questioning RFK Jr., has criticized him for making “millions off of peddling dangerous anti-vaccine conspiracies.”
Kennedy said he has resigned from his work with several law firms and that if confirmed he would no longer be involved in legal cases. But in a plan greenlit by federal ethics officials, Kennedy said he plans to retain his right to 10% of fees awarded in contingency cases with Wisner Baum, so long as the cases don’t involve the U.S. government. The federal government is not a party in the civil lawsuit against Merck.
-ABC News’ Anne Flaherty and Soorin Kim
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defends RFK Jr
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ahead of his confirmation hearing in an interview Wednesday on ABC News’ “Good Morning America.”
She said she rejected the criticism Caroline Kennedy aimed at her cousin in a recently published letter.
“I would reject those comments fiercely. RFK Jr is widely respected. He’s a great man who has dedicated his life to public service and to research,” Leavitt said. “He is pro-science, and he is committed to making this country healthy again.”
“President Trump stands strongly behind him, and we look forward to watching him shine on Capitol Hill today in his confirmation hearing, just like all of the other nominees that President Trump has appointed to their respective agencies and departments,” she added.
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Caroline Kennedy urges senators to reject RFK’s nomination
Caroline Kennedy, RFK Jr.’s cousin, wrote a letter to lawmakers warning she believed he is “unqualified” for the role.
She called him a “predator,” shared disturbing details of his alleged behavior with animals and accused him of being “addicted to attention and power.”
“The American health care system, for all its flaws, is the envy of the world. Its doctors and nurses, researchers, scientists, and caregivers are the most dedicated people I know. Every day, they give their lives to heal and save others. They deserve better than Bobby Kennedy – and so do the rest of us. I urge the Senate to reject his nomination,” she concluded.
Kennedy set for grilling on vaccine views, food guidelines and more
Kennedy is sure to be asked about his past comments questioning vaccine science and the food industry.
In private meetings with senators, Kennedy has been telling senators that he’s not “anti-vaccine,” but rather that he wants more study, according to two people familiar with the discussions.
Some Republicans have also said they want Kennedy, who was a Democrat before aligning with Trump in 2024, to clarify his position on abortion rights.
Read more about about what to expect from RFK’s hearing here.
-ABC News’ Anne Flaherty, Will McDuffie, Cheyenne Haslett and Olivia Rubin
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