RFK Jr. meets with more GOP senators amid concerns about his polio vaccine views

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. returned to Capitol Hill Tuesday to try to make his case to Republican senators that he can lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

Also meeting with senators on Tuesday was Tulsi Gabbard, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for director of national intelligence. She planned to meet with two Democratic senators and five Republicans.

Kennedy, who has come under fire for his opposition to vaccines and push to regulate farm-grown food, did not immediately discuss the topics he planned to bring up in his meetings, but several senators did share what their priorities are for the potential head of the HHS.

And some indicated they were ready to push back on Kennedy's stances.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., told reporters outside a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that he did not agree with Kennedy on his agriculture positions and avoided commenting on his stance on abortion, but expressed optimism that Kennedy would "support President Trump's policies" on all fronts.

"So my working assumption is he will stay in his lane and do HHS policy," Hawley said, adding that he supports the polio vaccine.

Kennedy's opinion on the polio vaccine has come under scrutiny after reports that his personal attorney Aaron Siri lobbied the Food and Drug Administration to revoke its approval of the vaccine. Sources told ABC News that Siri has been helping interview candidates for top health jobs in the incoming Trump administration. Siri, a partner at the law firm Siri & Glimstad, has also filed petitions seeking to pause the distribution of other vaccines, including Hepatitis B, and to revoke the emergency-use authorization of COVID-19 vaccines.

Asked by ABC News if he planned to meet with outgoing Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kennedy replied, "I hope so," as he left a meeting with Wyoming Republican John Barroso. McConnell, a polio survivor, criticized Siri's efforts to revoke the polio vaccine approval.

Kennedy also told reporters he would "probably" meet with Democratic senators when he returns to Capitol Hill in January, though he said he wasn't yet sure which ones.

Barroso said after his meeting that his "understanding" was that Kennedy is "for the polio vaccine, supportive of it."

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., was also critical of Siri.

Sen. Kennedy, who said he was "looking forward to sitting down" with RFK Jr. with an "open mind," suggested to reporters outside a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that the possible HHS secretary should fire his lawyer.

"I've got a completely open mind, but, but that kind of nonsense is not helpful," Kennedy said of the polio misinformation.

"I hope to be able to get to a position where I can support him enthusiastically. I'm looking forward to his confirmation hearings. We take those seriously," the senator added.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., however, told reporters that Kennedy is a "breath of fresh air" who has his support.

Tuberville, who has no medical background, brushed off concerns about Kennedy's views on vaccines and claimed, without any evidence or details, that they were not "100% proven."

"He wants the parents to understand the good, the bad, and the ugly instead of just forcing parents to give vaccines to their kids," the senator said.

Trump told reporters Monday that he was big believer in polio vaccine and vowed that it it was here to stay. He did, however, say he questioned vaccine mandates.

Kennedy told reporters Monday that "he was all for the polio vaccine."

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he'd be meeting with Kennedy this week and looked forward to having discussions with him about vaccines and the agriculture industry.

Abortion, Tillis said, was a "legitimate question" he was going to ask Kennedy about.

"I am consistently and unapologetically pro-life since I was a member of the state legislature," Tillis said.

One Senate Democrat, Dick Durbin of Illinois, told reporters he has not had any meetings with Trump's potential nominees yet but that they should be vetted on abortion and vaccines, topics he called "life and death issues." Durbin did not specifically mention Kennedy in his remarks.

"I think, in all fairness, we should take the measure of these nominees based on investigation, thorough FBI investigation, and what they have to say on the record under oath, and then make final judgment," he said.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren D-Mass also expressed her disapproval of Kennedy, citing his anti-vaccine campaigns.

"Do you really want him to lead the Department of Health and Human Services?," she asked.

Gabbard meets with Intelligence Committee Democrats

Gabbard on Tuesday said she had a "great" meeting with Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania.

"This has been a great opportunity to meet with both Democrat and Republican senators and address any questions or concerns that they have and talk about the role," she said.

Asked if she felt confident she had the votes to be confirmed, Gabbard said only that she "looks forward to meeting with senators as we continue through this process."

Fetterman has been leading the charge among Democrats meeting with Trump's nominees. In a post on X on Tuesday, he confirmed that he has met with Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's selection for United Nations ambassador, and Pete Hegseth, his secretary of defense pick.

"I believe that it's appropriate and the responsibility of a U.S. Senator to have a conversation with President-Elect Trump's nominees," Fetterman posted on on X. "My votes will come from an open-mind and an informed opinion after having a conversation with them. That's not controversial, it's my job."

Gabbard met Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff and Republican senators Susan Collins, Dan Sullivan, Chuck Grassley, Lisa Murkowski and Rand Paul.

Collins described her meeting with Gabbard as “very broad and wide-ranging.”

"We talked about Syria, her visit to see Assad. We talked about Ukraine, we talked about Putin, we talked about NATO, we talked about her positions on introducing legislation that would have removed the criminal charges for [Edward] Snowden,” Collins said.

The senator said she had not made a decision on Gabbard and would wait for her FBI background check and Senate hearings.

"As the co-author of the 2004 law that created the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, I have a very strong interest in this position," Collins said.

-ABC News' Allison Pecorin and Beatrice Peterson contributed to this report.