Top Republican on Senate health committee says he's 'struggling' to confirm RFK Jr

The apical Republican connected the Senate's main wellness committee, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., indicated Thursday during Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s 2nd confirmation proceeding of the week that his ballot for Trump's nominee to caput Health and Human Services was not a lock, noting that helium was "struggling" to corroborate Kennedy implicit his inability to admit vaccines are harmless and don't origin autism.

Kennedy faced 2 abstracted hearings successful beforehand of Senate lawmakers this week successful his bid to beryllium the adjacent Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy was probed often implicit his views connected vaccines, which person been a sticking constituent for galore senators arsenic they fig retired whether to ballot successful favour of Kennedy's nomination, oregon not.

RFK JR RIPS DEM SENATOR FOR PUSHING ‘DISHONEST’ NARRATIVE ON PAST VACCINE COMMENTS: ‘CORRECTED IT MANY TIMES’

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump's prime to beryllium Secretary of Health and Human Services, appears earlier the Senate Finance Committee for his confirmation hearing, astatine the Capitol successful Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. 

During the hearings, Kennedy refused to cull claims helium has posited publically successful the past that vaccines origin autism and argued helium is not anti-vaccine but alternatively "pro-safety." Kennedy added during the hearings that his program arsenic HHS Secretary would beryllium to "follow the science," noting that if the subject says helium is incorrect connected vaccines, helium volition publically apologize. 

But senators, similar Cassidy, person suggested during Kennedy's confirmation hearings that the science says vaccines are harmless – and they don't origin autism.   

"My work is to learn, effort and determine, if you tin beryllium trusted to enactment the champion nationalist health," Cassidy, a erstwhile physician, said during his closing remarks astatine Kennedy's Thursday confirmation proceeding successful beforehand of the Senate Committee connected Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP). "A worthy question called ‘MAHA,’" Cassidy continued, "to amended the wellness of Americans, oregon to undermine it, ever asking for much evidence, and ne'er accepting the grounds that is determination … That is wherefore I've been struggling with your nomination." 

DOCTOR DEFENDS RFK JR'S VACCINE STANCE: ‘HE’S NOT AGAINST VACCINES'

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., questions Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump's prime to beryllium Secretary of Health and Human Services, arsenic helium appears earlier the Senate Finance Committee for his confirmation hearing, astatine the Capitol successful Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. 

Cassidy repeatedly asked Kennedy during the Thursday proceeding to publically state that vaccines don't origin autism, but Kennedy refused. "That would person an unthinkable impact," Cassidy said. 

"There are issues we are, man, ultra-processed food, obesity, we are simpatico. We are wholly aligned," Cassidy continued during his closing remarks. "And arsenic idiosyncratic who has discussed immunizations with thousands of people, I recognize that mothers privation reassurance that the vaccine their kid is receiving is necessary, harmless and effective. We hold connected that point, the 2 of us, but we've approached it differently. And I deliberation I tin accidental that I've approached it utilizing the preponderance of grounds to reassure, and you've approached it utilizing selective grounds to formed doubt."

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Meanwhile, Cassidy pointed retired the monolithic "megaphone" Kennedy has arsenic a descendant of erstwhile President John F. Kennedy, and questioned whether helium volition usage his credibility "to support" oregon "to undermine" the nation's nationalist wellness and its assurance successful vaccines.

"I got to fig that out, for my vote."