UPDATE: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has cleared his first hurdle to turn into the nation’s prime well being official when the senate finance committee voted to advance his nomination for a ground vote.
Republicans voted collectively to advance his nomination, whereas Democrats all opposed.
His nomination now will face a full Senate vote, regardless of considerations concerning the work he is carried out to sow doubts round vaccine security and his potential to revenue off lawsuits over drugmakers.
Unique story continues under.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the controversial environmental lawyer turned public well being critic, is about to search out out on Tuesday if he has cleared the primary hurdle to turn into the nation’s prime well being official when the Senate Finance Committee votes on his nomination.
Democrats are nonetheless elevating considerations about Kennedy’s potential to revenue from anti-vaccine advocacy and lawsuits, however Republicans seem like rallying behind President Donald Trump’s well being secretary nominee. On Monday, North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican as soon as considered as a attainable “no” vote, introduced he would again Kennedy.
Kennedy wants assist from all however three Republicans if Democrats uniformly oppose him.
One key vote stays in query: Republican Sen. Invoice Cassidy, a Louisiana doctor who sits on the finance committee that can vote on Kennedy’s affirmation. Final week, throughout Kennedy’s hearings, Cassidy repeatedly implored Kennedy to reject a disproven concept that vaccines trigger autism, to no avail. He ended the listening to by saying he was “struggling” with the vote.
“Your previous, undermining confidence in vaccines with unfounded or deceptive arguments, considerations me,” Cassidy advised Kennedy.
On Monday night, Cassidy advised reporters that he had “very cordial” conversations with Kennedy over the weekend however was “nonetheless working via” methods to deal with his vote.
Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky are all seen as potential no votes, too, as a result of they voted towards Trump’s protection secretary nominee and have expressed considerations about Kennedy’s anti-vaccine work.
Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee expressed hope Kennedy may assist scale back persistent ailments and well being care prices. Democrats repeatedly used quotes and transcripts from his books and public appearances to pin him down on a number of points, particularly vaccines and abortion.
Oversight of the U.S. Well being and Human Providers companies is shared between two committees. The finance committee is concerned as a result of the sprawling $1.7 trillion company is liable for an enormous a part of the nation’s financial system — overseeing insurance coverage for practically half the nation, funneling billions of {dollars} to the states for Medicaid and offering medical insurance for the nation’s older People via Medicare.
In the meantime, the HELP committee additionally has oversight of the company’s program and companies, together with the Meals and Drug Administration.
Here is what to know:
What time is the vote and the way does it work?
The Senate finance committee, made up of 25 senators, will vote on whether or not to suggest Kennedy for a vote on the Senate ground, the place all 100 senators may have the prospect to vote on the nomination.
The session is slated to start at 9 a.m. CT and will be streaming reside right here.
The committee vote will probably be a powerful indicator of the place issues are headed for Kennedy, but it surely’s not essentially the ultimate phrase. Even when the committee votes towards his affirmation — seemingly unlikely — Senate Majority Chief John Thune, R-S.D., may nonetheless push for a ground vote.
If Kennedy will get the committee’s suggestion, he may nonetheless have work to do to win over Collins, Murkowski and McConnell. Cassidy additionally may probably vote towards Kennedy’s ultimate affirmation even when he votes in favor of him Tuesday.
Who’s RFK Jr.?
Kennedy hails from one of many nation’s most storied political households and is the son of the late Lawyer Common Robert F. Kennedy and the nephew of President John F. Kennedy. He first challenged President Joe Biden for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination. He then ran as an impartial however deserted his bid over the summer time after putting a deal to endorse Trump, a Republican, in change for a promise to serve in a well being coverage function throughout a second Trump administration.
Trump chosen Kennedy in November as his nominee to move DHS, shortly after he gained the presidential election, saying Kennedy would “finish the Continual Illness epidemic” and “Make America Nice and Wholesome Once more.”
What to find out about RFK Jr.’s voice
RFK Jr. has spasmodic dysphonia, which, in keeping with Johns Hopkins, is a voice dysfunction that “causes involuntary spasms within the muscular tissues of the voice field or larynx.”
“This causes the voice to interrupt and have a good, strained or strangled sound,” the medical group stated.
He was identified in 1996 on the age of 42, he stated.
“It makes my voice tremble,” he stated throughout a political occasion final yr.
He has spoken publicly about his situation, saying “it makes it problematic for folks to hearken to me.”
He has beforehand famous that he doesn’t hearken to himself on TV due to it.
What are a few of his views?
His has been a versatile ideological journey, half liberal Democrat, half libertarian, and now, an adherent of the MAGA agenda after dropping out of the race final yr to again Trump.
Vaccines
Kennedy’s quite a few remarks, anti-vaccine nonprofit and lawsuits towards immunizations are more likely to hang-out him.
Over a few years, Kennedy has been clear about his beliefs on vaccines in dozens of interviews, podcasts and social media posts.
He is headed up a nonprofit that has sued the federal government over its authorizations of vaccines. He is stated there may be “no vaccine that’s protected and efficient” and repeatedly known as for additional examine of routine childhood vaccinations, regardless of many years of analysis and real-world use that proves they’ve safely prevented illness.
He is rejected the anti-vaccine label, as a substitute casting himself as a crusader for “medical freedom” who needs extra analysis. He and Trump have vowed to not “take away” vaccines. To defuse criticism, he resigned from the Youngsters’s Well being Protection, his nonprofit that has filed dozens of lawsuits towards vaccines, together with the federal government authorizations of a few of them.
However critics have argued that his work advocating towards vaccine use has value lives. Democrats are poised to residence in on his social media campaigns and work in Samoa, the island nation within the Pacific Ocean the place docs say he and his anti-vaccine acolytes seized on a tragedy to marketing campaign towards childhood inoculations. Later that very same yr, a measles epidemic killed dozens of infants and youngsters.
In generally heated exchanges throughout his hearings final week, Kennedy denied that he’s anti-vaccine. However Kennedy, who identified that his kids are vaccinated, acknowledged he has requested “uncomfortable questions” about vaccinations.
“I consider that vaccines play a essential function in well being care,” Kennedy advised the Senate Finance Committee.
Agriculture
Kennedy had beforehand promised a ban on corn syrup or pesticides. If confirmed, Kennedy would oversee the Meals and Drug Administration, which has the ability to enact restrictions.
Kennedy indicated earlier than the election that he can be eager to finish the Meals and Drug Administration’s “aggressive suppression” of uncooked milk. The FDA and the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention have known as uncooked milk one of many “riskiest” meals folks can eat due to the likelihood for contamination.
Processed meals
Certainly one of Kennedy’s proposals has been to take away some chemical substances from processed meals. Kennedy has vowed to ban sure meals components and crack down on ultra-processed meals which can be tied to weight problems and diabetes charges.
In his hearings, Kennedy talked about the variety of substances in U.S. meals and advised ultraprocessed meals are contributing to persistent illness.
“We have to repair our meals provide and that’s no 1,” he stated.
Ultraprocessed meals have been linked to a number of well being issues, together with weight problems, diabetes, coronary heart illness and extra.
However these research have proven associations, not causes, and specialists say extra analysis is required to substantiate precisely how these meals can result in poor well being outcomes.
Kennedy tried to guarantee senators that he wouldn’t search widespread bans on vaccines or meals, saying he needs to supply extra data to folks.
“I don’t wish to take meals away from anyone,” he stated. “Should you like a cheeseburger – a McDonald’s cheeseburger and a weight loss program Coke like my boss — it is best to have the ability to get them.”
Abortion
Different conservatives have questioned Kennedy’s abortion views, after he stated final yr that it ought to be authorized for full-term pregnancies. His marketing campaign later clarified that he helps abortion rights till fetal viability, round 22 to 24 weeks.
In conferences with some senators, he is promised to comply with Trump’s directive on the difficulty.
Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, for instance, stated he was satisfied after speaking to Kennedy that he can be a powerful anti-abortion advocate.
However skepticism stays, with former Vice President Mike Pence’s advocacy group highlighting his abortion views in an advert marketing campaign.
“RFK Jr. has made sure overtures to pro-life leaders that he can be aware of their considerations at HHS, there may be little motive for confidence presently,” his group stated in a letter despatched to senators.
Throughout his affirmation hearings, Kennedy repeatedly leaned on the phrase, “I’ve all the time believed abortion is a tragedy.”
“I’ve by no means seen any main politician flip on that concern fairly as shortly as you probably did when Trump requested you to be HHS secretary,” stated Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
Sen. Steve Daines of Montana questioned Kennedy about his views on entry to the abortion tablet mifepristone. The FDA permitted mifepristone in 2000 as a protected and efficient approach to finish early pregnancies, but entry to the drug and its FDA approval has been threatened in authorized battles.
“President Trump has requested me to review the security of mifepristone,” Kennedy stated. “He has not but taken a stand on methods to regulate it. No matter he does, I’ll implement these insurance policies.”
Fluoride
Even earlier than Trump was elected, Kennedy stated he would suggest water companies cease including fluoride to consuming water, though fluoride ranges are mandated by state and native governments.
Fluoride strengthens enamel and is considered as one of many greatest public well being successes of the previous century because the addition of the fabric has been cited as resulting in improved dental well being. Whereas it may be poisonous in massive doses, well being specialists say these ranges are exhausting to succeed in.
“Fluoride reverses early decay and remineralizes your tooth enamel. Whereas fluoride will be dangerous in massive portions, it’s troublesome to succeed in poisonous ranges as a result of low quantity of fluoride in over-the-counter merchandise like toothpastes and mouth rinses,” the Cleveland Well being Clinic reported.
What does the Well being and Human Providers Division do?
HHS is a large Cupboard company that oversees the whole lot from drug, vaccine and meals security to medical analysis and the social security web packages Medicare and Medicaid.
“The mission of the U.S. Division of Well being and Human Providers (HHS) is to boost the well being and well-being of all People, by offering for efficient well being and human providers and by fostering sound, sustained advances within the sciences underlying drugs, public well being, and social providers,” the division’s web site reads.
