Robert F. kennedy jr He will be on Capitol Hill this week for a series of meetings with senators after President-elect Donald Trump selected him to head the US Department of Health and Human Services in his next term.
Kennedy is expected to spend four days on the Hill before lawmakers leave town for Christmas.
While there, Kennedy is expected to be pressured His beliefs about abortionwhich left some questions for Republicans, in addition to the effectiveness of vaccines, which lawmakers from both Republican and Democratic parties have publicly expressed concern about.
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President-elect Trump has appointed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the Department of Health and Human Services. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“I want to know what his real fears are and what he wants to do differently. But I don't want to Check out our vaccine programs,” Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., told reporters recently, reflecting on his time as governor overseeing such programs.
Sen. Markwayne Mullen, R-Oklahoma, said that while he will meet with Kennedy, he has already answered with a resounding “yes.”
He said, “I had the honor of sitting down and answering most of my questions. We will meet, but I supported the president's nomination of him for that.”
“So I was supportive even before it happened.”
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Sen. Markwayne Mullen, R-Oklahoma, said he spent time with RFK Jr. during the campaign. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Mullen, a close Trump ally, noted that he spent a lot of time with Kennedy during the campaign.
Kennedy is a prominent vaccination skeptic and has expressed criticism of several popular vaccinations. This has drawn criticism from some on both sides of the aisle, as vaccines have been commonly relied upon to prevent childhood viruses and reduce their spread.
However, since falling behind Trump before the end of the campaign, Kennedy has softened his position on vaccines somewhat. in interview With NBC News, he pushed back on the suggestion that he is “anti-vaccine.”
Vaccines have come under new scrutiny in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Istock)
“If vaccines are effective for someone, I wouldn’t rule them out,” he promised.
“So, I would make sure that there are scientific safety and efficacy studies, and people can make individual assessments about whether this product is good for them.”
Senator James Lankford, Republican of Oklahoma, told Fox News Digital that he expects to meet Kennedy. Lankford, a staunch pro-life advocate, said he had many questions about Kennedy's stance on abortion.
Trump's selection of RFK Jr. for the Department of Health and Human Services has raised some concerns among Republicans. (Reuters/Istock)
A number of other Republicans have previously expressed to Fox News Digital their interest in speaking with Kennedy about abortion.
Meanwhile, Kennedy was able to attract some politicians with his plans to tighten dietary rules and “make America healthy again.”
It is possible that the longtime Democrat-turned-independent will gain support from those on the Democratic side of the aisle, given there is bipartisan support for addressing the issue of food safety.
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It is unclear who Kennedy will meet on Capitol Hill, but some Democrats have indicated that their doors are open.
A representative for Kennedy declined to comment to Fox News Digital about the visits scheduled for this week.
