Senate committee advances Robert F. Kennedy Jr. nomination to be health secretary

Washington — 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the arguable biology lawyer turned nationalist wellness critic, cleared his archetypal hurdle connected Tuesday to go the nation's apical wellness authoritative erstwhile the legislature concern committee voted to beforehand his information for a level vote.

Republicans voted unneurotic to beforehand his nomination, portion Democrats each opposed.

His information present volition look a afloat legislature vote, contempt concerns astir the enactment he's done to sow doubts astir vaccine information and his imaginable to nett disconnected lawsuits implicit drugmakers.

To summation power of the $1.7 trillion Health and Human Services agency, Kennedy volition request enactment from each but 3 Republicans if Democrats uniformly reason him.

Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who is besides a doc and sits connected the concern committee, voted to beforehand Kennedy's confirmation. Last week, during Kennedy's hearings, Cassidy repeatedly implored Kennedy to cull a disproven mentation that vaccines origin autism, to nary avail. He ended the proceeding by saying helium was "struggling" with the vote.

"Your past, undermining assurance successful vaccines with unfounded oregon misleading arguments, concerns me," Cassidy told Kennedy.

Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky are each seen arsenic imaginable nary votes, too, due to the fact that they voted against President Donald Trump's defence caput nominee and person expressed concerns astir Kennedy's anti-vaccine work.

In a CBS "60 Minutes" interrogation that aired Sunday, McConnell declined to accidental however helium would ballot connected Kennedy's information but reiterated "vaccines are critically important."

Democrats, meanwhile, proceed to rise alarms astir Kennedy's imaginable to financially payment from changing vaccine guidelines oregon weakening national suit protections against vaccine makers if confirmed arsenic wellness secretary.

"It seems imaginable that galore antithetic types of vaccine-related decisions and communications — which you would beryllium empowered to marque and power arsenic Secretary — could effect successful important fiscal compensation for your family," Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Ron Wyden of Oregon wrote successful a missive sent implicit the play to Kennedy.

Kennedy said he'll springiness his lad each of the referral fees successful ineligible cases against vaccine makers, including the fees helium gets from referring clients successful a lawsuit against Merck. Kennedy told the committee he's referred hundreds of clients to a instrumentality steadfast that's suing Merck's Gardasil, the quality papillomavirus vaccine that prevents cervical cancer. He's earned $2.5 cardinal from the woody implicit the past 3 years.

As secretary, Kennedy volition oversee vaccine recommendations and nationalist wellness campaigns for the $1.7 trillion agency, which is besides liable for nutrient and infirmary inspections, providing wellness security for millions of Americans and researching deadly diseases.

Kennedy, a longtime Democrat, ran for president but withdrew past twelvemonth to propulsion his enactment to Trump successful speech for an influential occupation successful his Republican administration. Together, they person forged a caller and antithetic conjugation made up of conservatives who reason vaccines and liberals who privation to spot the authorities beforehand healthier foods. Trump and Kennedy person branded the question arsenic "Make America Healthy Again."