Senators on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee were critical of Kennedy’s long history as an anti-vaccine campaigner.
After a heated first day, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., on Thursday was again grilled by U.S. Senators regarding his anti-vaccine history.
Kennedy is President Trump’s pick to head the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA, National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are all under HHS.The choice was controversial given Kennedy’s documented background of opposing vaccination. Chief among this is extensive work with the nonprofit Children’s Health Defense—of which he is a founder—which publicly continues to purport links between vaccines and health conditions such as autism and asthma despite the lack of scientific evidence for such ties.
Thursday’s hearing was with the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), the committee chairman and a physician, expressed concern about Kennedy’s anti-vaccine slant, noting the risk that this could cause to patients facing vaccine-preventable diseases and complications.
According to NPR, Cassidy said during the hearing that for his vote, he needs to decide whether someone “who spent decades criticizing vaccines, and who’s financially vested in finding fault with vaccines — can he change his attitudes and approach now that he’ll have the most important position influencing vaccine policy in the United States?”
Cassidy is also a member of the Senate Finance Committee, which questioned Kennedy on Wednesday and which will ultimately decide whether Kennedy will get to face a vote by the full Senate.
While Cassidy is a Republican, his support for Kennedy doesn’t seem guaranteed yet, with Leerink analysts in an investor note saying that the senator was “highly critical” of the nominee during the hearing. “In his closing remarks, Cassidy reiterated his concern that RFK Jr. could undermine the US vaccine system and create risks to healthcare,” the Leerink note read.
Still, analysts at Jefferies predicted that the vote for Kennedy’s confirmation will turn out to be tight—but will fall in favor of the nominee. “Consensus odds markets currently show 70% chance of confirmation,” the analysts wrote, pointing out that it may come down to one or two key senators, including Cassidy.
Like Jefferies, Leerink projects a vote in Kennedy’s favor. “There may not be enough votes to block him,” the Leerink analysts wrote, pointing to two Republican senators who were “not harsh” against Kennedy in their concluding comments, and to one Democrat that “appeared highly supportive” of the nominee.
