Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will cap off his marathon of congressional hearings Wednesday with his one-time political savior and now adversary Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) scrutinizing his leadership for the first time in over seven months.
During his confirmation hearings, Kennedy made a range of commitments to Cassidy, including protecting the nation’s vaccine infrastructure. Since then, Kennedy’s health department has sowed doubt about whether vaccines cause autism (they do not, medical experts say).
Kennedy will testify before the Senate Finance Committee, which Cassidy sits on, in the morning and then will discuss the health department’s budget in the Senate health committee chaired by Cassidy in the afternoon.
Cassidy and several other Republican senators have stalled the advancement of President Donald Trump’s surgeon general nominee, Casey Means, who wrote the bible of the Make America Healthy Again movement that Kennedy champions. Cassidy has also accused Kennedy of “effectively” denying Americans the coronavirus vaccine and asked top officials to promote vaccination.
Since their last face-to-face meeting, several political dynamics have changed as the midterm elections approach. Trump has endorsed one of Cassidy’s primary opponents, Rep. Julia Letlow (R-Louisiana), who the MAHA movement’s political arm has vowed to support with $1 million in funding. Kennedy has stopped talking as much publicly about vaccines amid polling showing skepticism of shots is politically unpopular, and his health department has undergone a leadership shake-up. (In a hearing Tuesday, Kennedy denied that the White House had told him to stop talking about vaccines.)
The stakes are high for both men. Kennedy was quizzed by lawmakers Tuesday about whether he had lost favor with the White House for his controversial moves, while any support from Trump if Cassidy were to win his primary could be key.
Democratic aides said senators hope to show daylight between Kennedy and the Republican Party and its president. Senators plan on honing in on health care affordability, as well as discussing Kennedy’s previous leadership choices.
Kennedy, who was pugilistic in previous congressional appearances, has notably tried to tone down his rhetoric in hearings over the last week, steering conversations toward fraud issues, his popular moves on nutrition and how he believes his department is helping rural health. But fireworks over vaccines, environmental concerns and personal attacks have still ensued, as Kennedy’s push on making the country healthier again runs into the reality of the administration’s funding and staffing cuts.
Kennedy notably declined to commit to not interfering with vaccine guidance of the current pick to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Erica Schwartz, if she is confirmed — a point of contention after the ouster of previous CDC director Susan Monarez.
Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-California), a physician, quizzed Kennedy Tuesday on whether he spoke with Schwartz and vetted her past statements supporting vaccines. Kennedy said he did.
“This runs contrary to your dangerous anti-vaccine crusade,” Ruiz said.
Throughout the hearings, Kennedy said he is not anti-vaccine, noting he was investing in vaccines, such as a universal flu shot, and his push for vaccine safety, which many medical experts say has the effect of discrediting vaccines.
Kennedy will also face questions from Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, who previously expressed concern about Kennedy’s vaccine actions.
“I’m a doctor. Vaccines work. Secretary Kennedy, in your confirmation hearings, you promised to uphold the highest standards for vaccines. Since then, I’ve grown deeply concerned,” Barrasso said in September.
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