Jan 29, 2025, 12:43 PM EST
RFK supporters applaud as committee takes brief recess
As the committee broke for a brief, five-minute recess, some Kennedy supporters gave a loud round of applause.
Nathan Howard/Reuters
Live
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.
Key Headlines
- Jan 30, 2025, 1:13 PM EST
- Jan 30, 2025, 12:58 PM EST
- Jan 30, 2025, 12:12 PM EST
- Jan 30, 2025, 11:59 AM EST
- Jan 30, 2025, 11:58 AM EST
Here's how the news developed:
Jan 29, 2025, 12:33 PM EST
Democrats unsuccessfully push for 2nd round of questioning
Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden pushed for a second round of questioning but Republican chairman Mike Crapo said they will not be doing so.
Crapo offered Wyden only a second opportunity for questions, to which Wyden said he would divide his time among his colleagues.
There are about seven senators who have still yet to question Kennedy.
Jan 29, 2025, 12:28 PM EST
Sanders calls out RFK-started organization over anti-vax onesies
Sen. Bernie Sanders showed off images of baby onesies sold by the Children's Health Defense, a non-profit that Kennedy started that has pushed policies to end vaccine mandates.
The clothing contained messages such as "no vax, no problem."
6:50
ABCNews.com
Sanders asked the nominee if he would call for the group to stop selling those products since he now says he's pro-vaccine.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
"You are making money selling a child's product for 26 bucks which casts fundamental doubt on the usefulness of vaccines," Sanders said.
Kennedy said he had no power over the organization and resigned from the board months ago.
"You founded it, you have power, you can make that move," Sanders shot back, and then asked Kennedy if he supported the sale of the onesies.
"I am supportive of vaccines," Kennedy said, as he has repeatedly answered.
Jan 29, 2025, 12:18 PM EST
Democrat Elizabeth Warren presses RFK Jr. on making money from anti-vaccine lawsuits
Democrat Elizabeth Warren asked Kennedy if he would commit to not taking compensation related to any lawsuits against drug companies while he's serving as health secretary, should he confirmed, and for four years afterward.
"I'll certainly commit to that while I'm secretary," Kennedy said, though he didn't commit to not doing so after leaving the administration.
Nathan Howard/Reuters
Kennedy said he has resigned from his work with several law firms and that if confirmed he would no longer be involved in legal cases. But in a plan greenlit by federal ethics officials, Kennedy previously said he plans to retain his right to 10% of fees awarded in contingency cases with Wisner Baum -- which is leading a civil lawsuit against Merck's Gardasil vaccine -- so long as the cases don't involve the U.S. government.
