Senate Well being Committee Chair Invoice Cassidy (R-L. a..) mentioned on the finish of Thursday’s listening to he’s “struggling” with whether or not to substantiate Robert F. Kennedy Jr .as Well being and Human Services and products secretary.
Cassidy, a doctor, pleaded a couple of occasions for Kennedy to publicly claim that vaccines don’t reason autism.
“That would have an incredible impact,” Cassidy mentioned.
However Kennedy wouldn’t do it, announcing best that if the proof proved another way, he would express regret for previous feedback suggesting a hyperlink.
Cassidy famous Kennedy has a “megaphone” and chastised him for the usage of it to sow doubt about vaccines.
“A worthy movement called MAHA,” Cassidy informed Kennedy on the conclusion of the three-hour listening to. “To improve the health of Americans, or to undermine it, always asking for more evidence, never accepting the evidence that is there? That is why I have been struggling with your nomination.”
Thursday’s listening to, the second one in two days, was once decrease stakes than Wednesday. Not like the Senate Finance Committee, the Well being Committee listening to was once just a courtesy; the committee gained’t vote on advancing Kennedy’s nomination to the ground.
However Cassidy sits on each committees and is thought of as a key swing vote. If Kennedy clears the Finance Committee, he can find the money for to lose best 3 Republican votes at the Senate flooring.
Cassidy additionally wondered whether or not Kennedy may hurt President Trump’s legacy.
Cassidy famous that as a Republican, he sought after Trump to achieve success, but when any person doesn’t get vaccinated as a result of Kennedy’s “policies or attitudes” and later dies of a vaccine-preventable illness, it would get “blown up in the press.”
“The greatest tragedy will be her death. But I can also tell you an associated tragedy … that will cast a shadow over President Trump’s legacy, which I want to be the absolute best legacy,” Cassidy mentioned.
Kennedy spent the 2 hearings seeking to distance himself from his previous statements and positions as a vaccine skeptic. However Cassidy questioned if any person like Kennedy, who has made his profession wondering the good thing about vaccines and intentionally doubting best scientists, may exchange his techniques.
“Does a 70-year-old man, 71-year-old man, 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 requested.
