RFK Jr's abortion 'issue': Senate GOP plans to scrutinize Trump HHS pick's position

Senate Republicans are preparing to probe Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. connected his pro-choice stance aft the erstwhile statesmanlike campaigner was selected by President-elect Trump to beryllium his nominee to caput the Department of Health and Human Services. 

Kennedy, a erstwhile Democrat, has acrophobic a fig of Senate Republicans implicit his espoused views connected abortion. His erstwhile statesmanlike run reportedly said helium believed it "should beryllium near up to the pistillate and her doctor." 

Over the summer, Kennedy shared a video connected societal media, penning successful a post, "I enactment the emerging statement that termination should beryllium unrestricted up until a definite point." 

He suggested that this bounds should beryllium "when the babe is viable extracurricular the womb." Viability is understood to hap astir 24 weeks gestation. 

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RFK Jr.'s enactment by Trump for HHS is stirring immoderate concerns among Republicans.  (Reuters I iStock)

Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., a staunch pro-life advocate, told Fox News Digital, "It'll travel up successful the proceeding 100%. There's nary question that this volition beryllium an issue. I volition rise it if nary 1 other does." 

He explained that his bureau is compiling a database of "all of the things that the archetypal Trump medication did for beingness done HHS, due to the fact that they were precise progressive successful that area." 

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Lankford is simply a pro-life advocate. (Reuters)

Lankford pointed to HHS' enactment erstwhile it came to conscience protections for termination and taking connected Planned Parenthood arsenic examples. 

"There's a batch of things that they did during the archetypal Trump medication done HHS. So, we're compiling that list, and that'll decidedly beryllium my database of questions," helium said. 

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., a subordinate of the Senate Committee connected Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, said, "There's respective questions I privation to speech to him about."

He explained helium wanted to spot precisely what RFK Jr.'s presumption is — "How far? What month?"

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Tuberville says helium plans to inquire Kennedy questions. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

HELP committee ranking subordinate Bill Cassidy, R-La., said, "We'll bash our owed diligence, but I'm definite idiosyncratic volition inquire that. How could they not?" 

Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., told Fox News Digital termination was a interest of his erstwhile it comes to RFK Jr.

While respective Republicans are wary astir Trump's prime for HHS, immoderate expressed assurance that helium would enactment successful enactment with the administration. 

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"I would afloat expect immoderate of Trump's nominees to beryllium pro-life, arsenic is President Trump," said Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C.

But, helium said, "It does request to beryllium addressed."

"I judge what he's going to bash is bash the close thing," Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said of RFK Jr.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., told Fox News Digital "he'll beryllium asked a question, and we'll spot however helium answers. And we'll instrumentality it from there."

An unoccupied betterment area, left, and an termination process country astatine a Planned Parenthood Arizona halfway successful Tempe, Ariz., June 30, 2022.  (AP Photo/Matt York, File)

Katie Miller, a Trump-Vance modulation spokesperson, told Fox News Digital successful a statement, "Mr. Kennedy has each volition of supporting President Trump’s docket to the fullest extent. This is President Trump’s medication that Robert F. Kennedy has been asked to service in, and helium volition transportation retired the policies Americans overwhelmingly voted for successful President Trump’s historical victory." 

The concerns aired by Senate Republicans travel arsenic immoderate blimpish and pro-life groups have already sounded the alarm doorbell connected the HHS pick. 

"I judge the information of RFK Jr. to service arsenic caput of HHS is an abrupt departure from the pro-life grounds of our medication and should beryllium profoundly concerning to millions of pro-life Americans who person supported the Republican Party and our nominees for decades," erstwhile Vice President Mike Pence said successful a connection from his organization, Advancing American Freedom, past week.

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The president of apical pro-life radical Susan B. Anthony Pro Life America, Marjorie Dannenfelser, expressed her ain worry, saying successful a statement, "There's nary question that we request a pro-life HHS secretary, and, of course, we person concerns astir Robert F. Kennedy Jr."

But she signaled assurance successful Trump's medication to uphold pro-life values. 

"I judge that nary substance who is HHS secretary, baseline policies acceptable by President Trump during his archetypal word volition beryllium reestablished," Dannenfelser said.