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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.

ByAlexandra Hutzler, Ivan Pereira, and Mary Kekatos
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

Here's how the news developed:
Jan 29, 2025, 10:31 AM EST

RFK Jr. suffers from rare disorder making voice sound strained

Viewers watching or listening to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation hearing may notice that his voice appears strained.

Kennedy suffers from spasmodic dysphonia, a rare disorder affecting the voice muscles in the larynx, also called the voice box, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.

Spasmodic dysphonia can cause the voice to break when speaking and can affect breathing, making it sound noisy and labored.

Jan 29, 2025, 10:28 AM EST

RFK Jr. says he's not anti-vaccine despite past statements

Kennedy's past comments on vaccines is a point of skepticism from both Democrats and Republicans.

Since being nominated to lead HHS, he's attempted to clean up his stance. He did so again in the final moments of his opening statement, noting he and his children have been vaccinated.

"News reports have claimed that I'm anti-vaccine or any industry. I am neither. I am pro-safety," he said.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump's choice to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, appears before the Senate Finance Committee for his confirmation hearing, at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 29, 2025.
Ben Curtis/AP

Jan 29, 2025, 10:25 AM EST

Protesters disrupt RFK opening statement

A group of protesters shouted after RFK Jr. repeated his claim that he was not anti-vaccine.

PHOTO: United States Capitol Police officer removes a protester, as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump's nominee to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, testifies at his confirmation hearing in Washington, Jan. 29, 2025.
United States Capitol Police officer removes a protester, as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump's nominee to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, testifies before a Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, Jan. 29, 2025.
Nathan Howard/Reuters

RFK Jr. appeared Wednesday before the Senate Finance Committee and delivered his opening remarks during his confirmation hearing to head the Department of Health and Human Services.
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. delivers opening remarks at confirmation hearing to lead HHSRFK Jr. appeared Wednesday before the Senate Finance Committee and delivered his opening remarks during his confirmation hearing to head the Department of Health and Human Services.
ABCNews.com

"You are," protesters shouted before being taken out of the hearing.

Jan 29, 2025, 10:24 AM EST

Kennedy's inexperience in public health administration likely to be a focal point

Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden said in his opening statement that Kennedy has "virtually no knowledge or experience in handling these issues."

Kennedy is a longtime environmental lawyer who has not worked in public health administration or medicine.

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

Republican Sen. Mike Crapo, chairman of the committee, took a moment before Kennedy's opening statement to speak on Kennedy's background, noting his education from Harvard and the London School of Economics as well as his involvement in different advocacy groups.