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Top Republican 'struggling' with RFK Jr.'s nomination over Kennedy's vaccine views

Kennedy refused to say vaccines don't cause autism during his hearings.

Last Updated: January 30, 2025, 1:14 PM EST

President Donald Trump has promised he'd let Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "go wild" on health, food and medicine as head of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Kennedy, a Democrat who ran as an independent but ended up supporting Trump in the 2024 presidential campaign, was grilled by senators over his views on vaccines, abortion, Medicaid and more during two days of confirmation hearings.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, the top Republican on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, concluded Thursday's hearing by saying he was "struggling" with the nomination due to Kennedy's vaccine positions. Kennedy notably refused to say vaccines don't cause autism as he faced pointed question from lawmakers.

Jan 29, 2025, 11:03 AM EST

Kennedy's prolific past comments plague his nomination

Kennedy's many interviews, podcasts, books and more have provided Democrats with plenty of ammunition to criticize his nomination to lead HHS.

Secretary of Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on his nomination to be Health and Human Services Secretary, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 29, 2025.
Andrew Caballero-reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

That was evident in a tense exchange between Colorado Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet and Kennedy, where Bennet read aloud past comments -- including on transgender children and the AIDS crisis.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Colorado Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet had a tense exchange over past comments made by Kennedy. 
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Kennedy's past comments on transgender children, AIDs come up at confirmation hearingRobert F. Kennedy Jr. and Colorado Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet had a tense exchange over past comments made by Kennedy. 
ABCNews.com

Some comments Kennedy denied making despite them being in the public record.

"I have the record that I'll give to the chairman, and he can make his judgment about what you said," Bennet said.

Jan 29, 2025, 10:58 AM EST

RFK addresses missing unaccompanied migrant children issue

GOP Sen. John Cornyn brought up a Department of Homeland Security watchdog report released in August that more than 32,000 unaccompanied migrant children failed to appear for their immigration court hearings, and ICE was "not able to account" for all of their locations.

According to the interim report, from 2019 to 2023 -- a period spanning both the Trump and Biden administrations -- immigration officials transferred more than 448,000 unaccompanied migrant children from ICE custody to HHS.

Kennedy said that Trump was dedicated to finding those minors, claiming some may have been sold into slavery and sex trafficking.

"It is a blight on America's moral authority. And we need to find those kids," he said.

Jan 29, 2025, 10:51 AM EST

Kennedy falsely claims COVID vaccines for children approved 'without scientific basis'

RFK Jr. claimed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended COVID-19 vaccines "without any scientific basis" for children.

The CDC says COVID-19 vaccines for children are safe and that adverse reactions are rare.

Health officials say clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines involved tens of thousands of people and have since helped save millions of lives.

Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden referenced Kennedy’s petition from 2021 asking the Food and Drug Administration to revoke its authorization of all COVID-19 vaccines. The FDA denied the petition three months later.

Jan 29, 2025, 10:47 AM EST

Republican Sen. Grassley tells Kennedy to leave agriculture to other agencies

Kennedy has said he wants to reduce pesticides and other chemicals as he vows to take on the food industry, sparking some pushback from Republicans and the farming sector.

Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley used the bulk of his time to tell Kennedy to leave agricultural issues to the appropriate agencies.

"I expect you to prioritize rural Americans health care needs on agriculture. In our meeting earlier this month, we talked at length about agriculture," he said. "You prefaced the conversation by saying you will not have jurisdiction over these issues. I expect you to leave agricultural practice regulations to the proper agencies."

Grassley has not yet said if he would support Kennedy's nomination.