The Senate Health and Finance Committees have announced dates for upcoming hearings for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s bid to become the next Secretary of Health and Human Services.
The nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) will participate in hearings with two committees, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) and the Senate Committee on Finance. The first hearing will be held next week, on Wednesday, before the Senate Finance Committee, which oversees the Department of Health and Human Services. The main Senate committee covering health and health care-related issues, the HELP committee, will investigate Kennedy the next day, Thursday.
Kennedy's nomination may face opposition Even from Republicans. In particular, Kennedy's views and past statements on vaccines have come under scrutiny from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers. In addition, GOP lawmakers were concerned about Kennedy's past pro-abortion views and his potential impact on the agriculture sector.
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Kennedy Jr., center, attends the inauguration ceremony at the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kevin Lamarque-Pool/Getty Images)
in Interview with Fox News Sunday Earlier this month, Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, the top lawmaker on the Senate HELP Committee, said Kennedy was “wrong” on vaccinations. One example raised was Kennedy's alleged efforts, which he denied, to foster doubts about the vaccine's effectiveness during the 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa. These efforts included a letter Kennedy sent to the country's prime minister, in his capacity as head of Children's Health Defense, suggesting that the measles vaccine could have worsened the outbreak.
In the past, Kennedy has suggested this as well Vaccines can Being linked to autism.
“The scientific research has been done and the results are clear — vaccines do not cause autism,” Allison Singer, president of the Autism Science Foundation, wrote in a statement. Kennedy suggested to journalist John Stossel that such studies were “propaganda.”
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Los Angeles), left, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services. (Left: Chip Somodevila/Getty Images; Right: Kevin Deitch/Getty Images)
Kennedy's past pro-abortion views, and what he might do to the agriculture sector as he pursues his “Make America Healthy Again” program, also raised concerns among some Republican senators.
“He's made some statements about genetically engineered pigs and corn and soybeans. I can't believe he's going to have a problem with that. But if he does, he's got a problem with me,” said Sen. Chuck Grassley, D-R.I., a member of the House of Representatives. The Senate Finance Committee told Semaphore.
After meeting with conservative Alabama Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville, a powerful pro-life lawmaker, the senator said: Kennedy told him He agrees with Trump on abortion “100%” and would have a light touch on farmer organizing.
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Some Senate Republicans want answers from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on his agricultural beliefs before confirming him. (Reuters)
“We talked about abortion and the big thing about it miscarriage “He is telling everyone: Listen, whatever President Trump (supports) I will come back to him 100%,” Tuberville told reporters after his meeting with Kennedy.
Fox News Digital reached out to Kennedy's representatives for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
