He has a slogan: "Make America healthy again," an idea everyone shares. However, he also has a history of anti-vax conspiracy theories that have ruined his credibility, and an alignment with Donald Trump that has cast doubt on his determination to defend Americans' health, particularly regarding access to abortion medication. On Wednesday, January 29, the Senate Finance Committee held its nomination hearing for former lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr., known as "RFK," 71, Donald Trump's nominee for health and human services (HHS) secretary, which was filled with debate. RFK was also scheduled to be heard by the Senate's health committee on Thursday. With Republicans holding 53 votes out of 100, his confirmation remains a possibility, but, unlike the presidential nominees who have so far been confirmed (Treasury, Defense, Homeland Security and State Department), RFK only put up a mediocre showing. The hearing of Tulsi Gabbard, the nominee for national intelligence director, and Kash Patel, the nominee for FBI director, set to begin on Thursday, January 30, are also shaping up to be very tense.
Democrats sharply attacked RFK, the nephew of former president John F. Kennedy and son of Robert F. Kennedy who had briefly tried to challenge Joe Biden in the 2024 Democratic primary before siding with Trump. "The receipts show that Mr. Kennedy has embraced conspiracy theories, quacks, and charlatans, especially when it comes to the safety and efficacy of vaccines. He's made it his life's work to sow doubt and discourage parents from getting their kids life-saving vaccines. It has been lucrative for him, and put him on the verge of immense power," began Oregon Senator Ron Wyden, who accused him of having earned almost $5 million from sales of his books, "mostly by promoting junk science": "In 2021, in [one of your books], you wrote that parents had been, quote, 'misled' into believing that measles is a deadly disease and that measles vaccines are necessary, safe and effective."
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