Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump’s nominee for Well being and Human Services and products (HHS) secretary, sat via his 2nd Senate affirmation listening to in as many days on Thursday, along with his possibilities of being showed showing much less positive by way of the tip.
Democrats at the the Senate Well being, Schooling, Hard work and Pensions Committee as soon as once more hammered Kennedy for selling incorrect information about vaccines, and his refusal to back off from the ones positions appeared to trouble even some Republicans at the panel.
Kennedy was once additionally requested about his stance on GLP-1 medicine and emergency abortion get entry to, whilst once more conveying a shaky clutch at the companies he would oversee.
Listed below are 5 key takeaways:
Cassidy properties in on vaccines and autism
Well being Committee Chair Invoice Cassidy (R-L. a..), a health care provider, made it transparent he had “reservations” about Kennedy’s ideals on vaccines inflicting autism and his long-documented skepticism on their efficacy.
The Louisiana senator was once in search of some reassurance from Kennedy in this factor, however the HHS nominee presented little to quell Cassidy’s considerations.
In each his opening and shutting remarks, Cassidy recalled a former affected person, an 18-year-old lady, who was once affected by hepatitis B-induced liver failure that will have been averted by way of a vaccine.
“Since then, I try to do everything I can to make sure I never have to speak to another parent about their child dying due to a vaccine preventable disease,” Cassidy stated.
“As a physician who’s been involved in immunization programs, I’ve seen the benefits of vaccinations. I know they save lives,” he added. “I know they’re a crucial part of keeping our nation healthy.”
Kennedy stated he would trade his ideals if offered with knowledge proving him incorrect, announcing he would pass so far as to “apologize for any statements that misled people.” Towards the tip of the listening to, Cassidy offered Kennedy with a 2014 meta-analysis that concluded vaccines don’t seem to be related to autism.
Kennedy driven again, announcing he may just level to research that recommended there was once a hyperlink.
“I just want to follow the science,” Kennedy stated. “There’s many times I’ve been wrong about science.”
Cassidy stated it could be “incredible” if Kennedy got here out in unequivocal reinforce for vaccines and clarified there is not any hyperlink to autism.
“I’ve been struggling with your nomination,” Cassidy advised Kennedy on the finish of the listening to.
“There’s a 70-year-old man, 71-year-old man, who spent decades criticizing vaccines and was financially vested in finding fault with vaccines,” Cassidy stated. “Can he change his attitudes and approach now that he’ll have the most important position influencing vaccine policy in the United States?”
RFK Jr. tangled with Sanders
Essentially the most heated a part of the listening to took place when Well being Committee rating member Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) pressed Kennedy on decreasing prescription drug prices, a topic he championed as chair of the committee.
“If we want to make America healthy, will you assure the American people that you will fight to do what every other major country on Earth does, guarantee health care to every single American?” Sanders requested Kennedy.
Kennedy stated corruption resulting in prime drug prices existed in Congress in addition to the pharmaceutical business, accusing Sanders of being the only greatest marketing campaign beneficiary of pharmaceutical greenbacks.
Sanders furiously shot again at this accusation announcing, “I got millions and millions of contributions. They did not come from the executives, not one nickel of PAC money for the pharmaceutical industry. They came from workers.”
Consistent with Open Secrets and techniques, Sanders gained $115,690 from the pharmaceutical business between 2019 and 2024. All of those greenbacks are recorded as coming from people.
Kennedy claimed Sanders gained $1.5 million from the pharmaceutical business, to which the Vermont senator quipped, “Yeah, out of $200 million.”
Hassan were given choked up speaking about son
Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) faced Kennedy’s reinforce for linking vaccines to autism via her personal private revel in.
Visibly emotional, she blasted Kennedy’s rhetoric as being damaging to creating growth on higher working out autism.
“Some of you are new to this committee and new to the Senate, so you may not know that I am the proud mother of a 36-year-old young man with severe cerebral palsy,” Hassan stated. “And a day does not go by when I think about what did I do when I was pregnant with him that might have caused the hydrocephalus that has so impacted his life?”
“So, please do not suggest that anybody in this body of either political party doesn’t want to know what the cause of autism is,” Hassan endured.
“The problem with this witness’s response on the autism cause and the relationship to vaccines is because he’s relitigating and churning settled science. So, we can’t go forward and find out what the cause of autism is and treat these kids and help these families.”
Kennedy says emergency care comprises abortions
Regardless of talking in desire of abortion get entry to previously, Kennedy has since aligned his perspectives with Trump, time and again announcing he believes “every abortion is a tragedy.”
When requested about insurance policies relating to abortion, Kennedy stated a lot of occasions on Thursday that he would observe what Trump’s insurance policies finally end up being.
Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), then again, sought solutions on how Kennedy in my opinion believed some abortion measures must be treated.
Blunt Rochester requested whether or not Kennedy would reinforce the Emergency Scientific Remedy and Hard work Act (EMTALA), a federal regulation that calls for hospitals be offering an abortion if deemed essential to stabilize sufferers with a situation that threatens their lifestyles or well being.
“Do you agree that a person who is experiencing severe pregnancy complications should be able to receive emergency care to save their life, if that care is an abortion?” Blunt Rochester requested Kennedy.
Kennedy to begin with tried to indicate to Trump’s coverage at the factor, however Blunt Rochester pressed the HHS nominee on whether or not he himself believes pregnant girls must have get entry to to abortions if essential to avoid wasting their lives.
“If it’s required to save their life,” Kennedy stated.
Obvious lack of awareness about Medicare
One prevailing commentary from Democrats was once that Kennedy had an obvious lack of awareness of the way federal well being insurance policies paintings.
When requested by way of Cassidy on Wednesday how he’d oversee Medicare and Medicaid, Kennedy appeared to confuse the 2. Kennedy described Medicaid as “fully paid for by the federal government,” when in truth it’s financed by way of a mixture of state and federal investment.
“Yesterday during your finance hearing, and today, you confused details about Medicare and Medicaid. You didn’t know what authorities you have under [EMTALA],” Blunt Rochester famous.
Hassan quizzed Kennedy on what Medicare Section A, B and C quilt.
Kennedy stated Medicare Section A covers number one care when it actually covers inpatient care throughout health center remains.
He described Medicare Section B as masking “physicians and doctors.” Section B covers medically essential products and services and provides in addition to preventive products and services.
Kennedy described Medicare Section C as “a program where it gets the full menu of all the services; A, B, C and D for Medicare.” Medicare Section C is in all probability higher referred to as Medicare Benefit, a program by which licensed non-public insurance policy are presented as a substitute for authentic Medicare.
“Mr. Kennedy, you want us to confirm you to be in charge of Medicare, but it appears that you don’t know the basics of this program,” Hassan stated.
