RFK Jr. fields tough questions on both sides about vaccines, abortion stances

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. scrambled to fend off tough questions about his record of anti-vaccine statements, food safety, abortion rights and government health programs as he started two days of Senate hearings on his bid to become President Trump’s Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Facing harsh attacks from Democratic senators, the longtime vaccine critic repeatedly sought to distance himself from previous stances questioning the safety and effectiveness of lifesaving vaccines that have virtually eradicated killer diseases like measles and polio. “News reports complain that I am anti-vaccine or anti-industry,” Kennedy insisted. “I am neither.



” Kennedy noted that his own children are fully vaccinated and dodged a question about his statement that he would “do anything” to be able to go back in time and have them not get the shots. “Are you lying to Congress today when you say you are pro-vaccine?” Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, shot back.

“You frighten people,” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse told Kennedy. Sen.

Bernie Sanders grilled RFK Jr. about a baby onesie sold by an anti-vaxxer group he founded, which bore the slogan “No Vax No Problem.” “Are you supportive of these onesies?” Sanders asked.

Kennedy is considered one of the toughest sells among Trump’s cabinet picks. He can likely afford to lose no more than three Republican votes to get the 50 votes he needs to be confirmed, with Vice President JD Vance holding a tie-breaking vote. A handful of moderate and establishment Republicans have said they are still on the fence, including Sen.

Mitch McConnell, a polio survivor who credits the vaccine with saving his life. Kennedy faces two days of questioning, with Thursday’s health committee hearing likely to provide even more fireworks. He looked flustered at times as he sought to aggressively defend his checkered record on vaccines and lack of experience running sprawling government programs like Medicaid and Medicare, which serve tens of millions of Americans.

He struggled to answer fairly sympathetic questions from Republican members of the finance committee who asked how he hoped to cut health costs and improve care and outcomes as Trump has repeatedly vowed to do. Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again mantra includes his claim that pharmaceutical, agriculture and food companies are poisoning generations of Americans with dangerous products. Taken at face value, those stances could put him sharply at odds with Republicans, especially from farm states, who are close political allies of giant agricultural production and food processing interests.

Kennedy faced questions from both sides of the aisle on his shifting position on abortion rights. He has a long record of unequivocal support for abortion that would normally make him unacceptable to pro-life Republicans, but he now says he will support Trump’s stances and leave abortion to the states. Sen.

Michael Bennet (D-Colorado) trashed Kennedy as a political chameleon by quoting his previous statements that abortion should be left up to the pregnant woman, not the government of any state or the federal government. “I believe every abortion is a tragedy,” Kennedy said, effectively avoiding giving an answer..