Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s confirmation hearing to be the next Health and Human Services secretary is scheduled for this week. His nomination has sparked controversy due to his long-held views on vaccines.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is scheduled to face Senate committees this week for his confirmation hearing to be the next Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary. Kennedy will appear Wednesday first before the Finance Committee, one of two committees with jurisdiction over HHS, and again on Thursday before the Health Committee.
Kennedy's confirmation is far from certain in the Senate, where he is expected to face pointed questioning from both Republicans and Democrats on the chamber's health and finance committees.Kennedy’s nomination has alarmed people concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines. He has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Caroline Kennedy urged the U.S. Senate in a Tuesday letter to reject the nomination of her cousin to be President Donald Trump's health secretary, calling him a 'predator.' Ms. Kennedy said in the letter that her cousin’s views on vaccines are disqualifying. She offered senators personal details from their lives growing up together that she said pose an even greater concern.Kennedy ran for president as a Democrat, then as an independent, before he dropped out and endorsed President Donald Trump. He is the son of Democratic icon Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968 during his own presidential campaign. Health and Human Services has a broad reach across the lives of Americans, including inspecting the nation’s food, regulating medicines and overseeing research of diseases and cures. It provides health insurance for nearly half of the country — poor, disabled and older Americans, including via Medicare. Kennedy's numerous remarks, anti-vaccine nonprofit and lawsuits against immunizations are likely to haunt him. He's rejected the anti-vaccine label, instead casting himself as a crusader for 'medical freedom' who wants more research. He and Trump have vowed not to 'take away' vaccines. To defuse criticism, he resigned from the Children’s Health Defense, his nonprofit that has filed dozens of lawsuits against vaccines, including government authorizations of some of them.Other conservatives have questioned Kennedy's abortion views, after he said last year that it should be legal for full-term pregnancies. His campaign later clarified that he supports abortion rights until fetal viability, around 22 to 24 weeks. In meetings with some senators, he promised to follow Trump's directive on the issue.Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, for example, said he was convinced after talking to Kennedy that he would be a strong anti-abortion advocate.But skepticism remains, with Pence's advocacy group highlighting his abortion views in an ad campaign.'RFK Jr. has made certain overtures to pro-life leaders that he would be mindful of their concerns at HHS, there is little reason for confidence at this time,' his group said in a letter sent to senators last week.In Iowa, Kennedy's nomination both excites and worries corn and soybean farmer Brian Fyre.The sixth-generation farmer and Republican thinks Kennedy will offer a fresh perspective, but he also can't afford the ban on corn syrup or pesticides that Kennedy has promised. If confirmed, Kennedy would oversee the Food and Drug Administration, which has the power to enact restrictions.Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, a Republican from a dairy farm state, sees it differently, telling a crowd at the Heritage Foundation last month that Kennedy's agriculture ideas are a promising part of a bigger goal: 'to Make America Healthy Again.'Once Trump nominates his picks for various positions, they are then presented to the appropriate Senate committee. The committee would then vote to recommend a candidate to the full Senate. The full Senate will debate. Trump's picks will either be confirmed or rejected by a simple majority. If they are approved, they are then sworn-in. Republicans currently hold 53 seats in the Senate, which could suggest many of Trump's picks will be confirmed without issue
HEALTH POLICY ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. DONALD TRUMP VACCINES CONFIRMATION HEARING SENATE COMMITTEE
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