RFK Jr. grilled on his views on vaccines and abortion in first confirmation hearing

Over rigorous questioning from senators Wednesday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. laid out his vision to lead the Department Health and Human Services, while backtracking on his past statements in support of abortion and against vaccines.

Kennedy, a former independent presidential candidate, is one of President Donald Trump‘s more unorthodox Cabinet picks, as his nomination has drawn skepticism from those on the left and the right.

While the most aggressive lines of inquiry during his three-and-a-half hour appearance before the Senate Finance Committee came from Democrats, Kennedy also stumbled while facing questioning from Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., a doctor who is expected to play a pivotal role in his confirmation, on the issue of Medicaid.

Kennedy stated that Medicaid premiums and deductibles were too high, saying most people who use the program are “not happy.” But most Medicaid enrollees do not pay premiums or deductibles. Cassidy chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which Kennedy will testify before on Thursday.

Kennedy’s long history of vaccine skepticism was brought up repeatedly by Democrats during Wednesday’s hearing. In his opening statement, he sought to get ahead of attacks on the issue, prompting a brief eruption from a protester in the gallery.

Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., questioned Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about flip-flopping views on healthcare issues during his Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday.

“News reports have claimed that I am anti-vaccine or anti-industry,” Kennedy said.

“You are!” the person yelled before being ushered out of the chamber.

Kennedy continued: “I am neither; I am pro-safety. I worked for years to raise awareness about the mercury and toxic chemicals in fish, but that didn’t make me anti-fish. All of my kids are vaccinated, and I believe vaccines have a critical role in health care.”

Early on in the hearing, Kennedy and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the ranking member of the panel, engaged in a heated exchange as Wyden attempted to nail down Kennedy’s stance on the measles vaccine.

“Is measles deadly, yes or no?” Wyden asked Kennedy, who did not directly answer the question. Kennedy contended again that he was not anti-vaccine.

Wyden pressed Kennedy on his comments in a 2023 podcast in which he said, “There’s no vaccine that is safe and effective.”

“Mr. Kennedy, all of these things cannot be true. So are you lying to Congress today when you say you are pro-vaccine?” Wyden said.

Kennedy claimed that statements he made on podcasts have “been repeatedly debunked.”

He also contended he would not dissuade Americans from getting certain vaccines.

“I support the measles vaccine. I support the polio vaccine. I will do nothing as HHS Secretary that makes it difficult or discourages people from taking anything,” Kennedy said.

At another point, Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., grew fiery as he challenged Kennedy on some of his past statements.

“Did you say that Lyme disease is highly likely, a materially engineered bioweapon? Did you say Lyme disease is a highly likely militarily engineered bioweapon?”

“I probably did say that,” Kennedy said.

Bennet then asked Kennedy about his past comments supporting abortion rights. When Kennedy began to quibble, Bennet interrupted.

“This matters!” Bennet said, his voice rising. “This is a job where it is life and death … for families all over this country.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., noted that as Kennedy contended before the panel that he did not oppose vaccines, Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine group he founded, was selling onesies online that read “Unvaxxed Unafraid” and “No Vax. No problem.”

Sanders pressed Kennedy on whether he would urge the group to take the merchandise down since he is supportive of vaccines. Kennedy said he held no longer held a post with the group.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. questioned RFK Jr. about the infant onesies once sold by Children’s Health Defense, the anti-vaccine nonprofit Kennedy founded, in his Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday.

Kennedy’s past comments in support of abortion rights were also put under the microscope by senators in both parties.

Last year, while he was running for president, Kennedy told a podcast host that he would support allowing women to have abortions at full term, if that was their choice.

But just days later, he walked his position back, writing in a post on X that “abortion should be legal up until a certain number of weeks, and restricted thereafter.”

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., asked Kennedy whether federal law protects a pregnant woman’s right to emergency care if she has a life-threatening, incomplete miscarriage in an emergency room in a state where abortion is restricted.

“I don’t know,” Kennedy said. “The answer is I don’t know.”

Under questioning from Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., Kennedy said he believed laws around abortion should be up to the states to decide. He then outlined Trump’s stances on abortion, including wanting to end federal funding and late term abortions. 

“I agree with President Trump that every abortion is a tragedy,” Kennedy said. “I serve at the pleasure of the president. I’m going to implement his policies.”

In another notable exchange, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. attempted to extract a promise from Kennedy that he wouldn’t leave his role at HHS and profit from policies he helped put in place.

“I want to know if you will commit right now that not only will you not go to work for drug companies, you won’t go to work suing the drug companies and taking your rake out of that while you’re a secretary and for four years afterward?” Warren said.

Kennedy would only say he would not take that money while he serves as health and human services secretary. Warren pressed on, saying he wasn’t answering the question.

“Senator, you’re asking me not to sue vaccine — pharmaceutical companies,” Kennedy interrupted.

“No I am not!” Warren exclaimed, raising her voice.

Kennedy also attempted to allay any concerns about his views on nutrition. While he spoke about the rise in chronic diseases and ingredients in food, he also noted that his “boss” likes to eat a McDonald’s cheeseburger and drink a Diet Coke.

“You should be able to do that,” Kennedy said to some chuckles at Trump’s penchant for eating fast-food. “But you should know what the impacts are on your family and your health.”

As head of HHS, Kennedy would oversee powerful agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. 

Kennedy can afford to lose the support of only three Republicans if Democrats unite against him when the full Senate votes on his nomination. So far, no Republican senators have publicly opposed him.

On the eve of his hearing, Kennedy received a stinging rebuke from a member of his own family.

On Tuesday, his cousin Caroline Kennedy wrote a scathing letter asking the Senate to deny his confirmation. She described him as a “predator” who once delighted in a “perverse scene of despair and violence,” placing baby chickens and mice into a blender to feed his hawks. She also accused him of enticing other family members into addiction. 

“Bobby is addicted to attention and power,” she wrote. “Bobby preys on the desperation of parents of sick children — vaccinating his own kids while building a following by hypocritically discouraging other parents from vaccinating theirs.”

NBC News’ Rebecca Shabad, Sahil Kapur, Alexandra Marquez, Brandy Zadrozny and Brennan Leach contributed.

Here’s what you need to know about Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the controversial member of one of America’s most famous political families.

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