Takeaways from two days of hearings on RFK Jr.

By Ariel Wittenberg, Ellie Borst | 01/31/2025 06:43 AM EST

President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services addressed questions on climate change, the environment, Lyme disease and chemicals.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifying.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services, during his first of two confirmation hearings Wednesday. Francis Chung/POLITICO

Science was the buzzword of two days of confirmation hearings for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

Famed for spreading misinformation about the safety of vaccines, Kennedy sought to present himself as a trustworthy steward of the nation’s public health and convince senators of two committees that he would “follow the evidence” on vaccines and other health issues.

Kennedy appeared before the Finance Committee on Wednesday and the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Thursday. Here’s what he said:

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Vaccines

Kennedy had a number of fiery exchanges over vaccines during the hearings. The most consequential may have been a more subdued dialogue with HELP Chair Bill Cassidy (R-La.) on Thursday.

A retired gastroenterologist who is a staunch vaccine supporter and backs President Donald Trump, Cassidy is considered a key vote to watch in Kennedy’s embattled nomination.

Opening the hearing, Cassidy told the story of an 18-year old patient of his who had required a liver transplant because she was not vaccinated against hepatitis.

He asked Kennedy, “Will you say unequivocally, will you reassure mothers unequivocally and without reservation that [vaccines] don’t cause autism?”

“If you show me the data,” said Kennedy, “I will be the first person to reassure the American people that they need to take those vaccines.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. talks with Bill Cassidy.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shaking hands on Thursday. | Rod Lamkey/AP

Cassidy came back with data toward the end of the second hearing, bringing out his laptop to read headlines of peer-reviewed studies that had shown vaccines were not causing autism, and telling Kennedy, “You said you will endorse vaccines if I show you the data.”

“Convince me,” Cassidy said. “That you will become an influencer for people to believe that no, there’s 1.2 million kids studied and no autism associated with measles.”

Kennedy would not commit, instead citing a separate, smaller study from Florida and saying, “I just want to follow the science.”

Climate, the environment

Kennedy introduced himself at each confirmation hearing with a brief description of his experience as an environmental attorney fighting water pollution in New York’s Hudson Valley.

In each hearing, he contrasted reaction to his environmental work with reaction for his anti-vaccine advocacy in an effort to boost his credibility.

“I am not anti-vaccine. I am pro-safety,” Kennedy said both days. “I worked for years to reduce mercury and toxic chemicals in fish, and nobody called me anti-fish.”

His experience fighting water pollution, Kennedy said, helped him “learn very early on that human health and environmental injuries are intertwined.”

But Kennedy refused to denounce President Donald Trump for calling climate change a hoax when asked Wednesday by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt).

Instead, Kennedy said that he and Trump had “agreed to disagree” on the issue, and that, if confirmed to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, “my job is to make Americans healthy again.”

Sanders slammed Kennedy for that answer during his opening statement for the second hearing Thursday.

“I don’t know how you are going to make America healthy again when you’re having massive heat waves and droughts and floods and extreme weather disturbances,” Sanders said.

“I sincerely hope if you are confirmed you will demand that President Trump change his position and work with those of us who are trying to transform our energy system and keep America healthy by addressing the crisis of climate change.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders speaking.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Thursday. | Rod Lamkey Jr./AP

On Lyme disease

Multiple Senators questioned Kennedy on past statements he has made promoting conspiracy theories that the tick-borne illness Lyme disease was created by the American military as a biological weapon. Kennedy’s responses over two days were not consistent with each other, or the original statements he made a year ago.

In January 2024, Kennedy hosted an entire episode of his podcast dedicated to “Bioweapons and Lyme Disease,” where he mused that Lyme “is highly likely to have been a military weapon.”

On Wednesday, when Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) asked Kennedy whether he had said “that Lyme disease is highly likely a militarily engineered bioweapon,” Kennedy responded, “I probably did say that.”

But on Thursday, when Cassidy asked him if he still believes Lyme was a military weapon, Kennedy said, “I have never believed that, senator.”

“What I have said is that we should always follow evidence no matter what it says,” Kennedy said.

He went on to say that he only talked about Lyme on his podcast because of books that had elevated the bioweapons conspiracy but, “I have not read them through.”

Sen. John HIckenlooper (D-Colo.) was not convinced.

“I think at a certain point if you’re going to be an activist or a prophet, what you say becomes promoting something, promoting an idea,” he said.

But Kennedy doubled down. “I never endorsed the issue, I said it’s out there.”

“For me not to acknowledge that is a form of manipulation.”

Chemicals

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies during his confirmation hearing.
Kennedy on Wednesday. | Francis Chung/POLITICO

At the center of Kennedy’s agenda is a promise to tackle chronic illnesses by identifying and eliminating the toxic chemicals in foods, pesticides, medicines, the environment and beyond.

That has put some agriculture-focused Republicans on the fence, and Kennedy tried to assuage those fears by stating his focus is on boosting research, not regulations.

“I don’t want to take food away from anybody,” Kennedy said on Wednesday. “If you like a McDonald’s cheeseburger and a diet coke, which my boss loves, you should be able to get them. If you want to eat Hostess Twinkies, you should be able to do that. But you should know what the impacts are on your family and on your health.”

Kennedy touted a close relationship with Brooke Rollins, Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Agriculture, and said he has found common ground with the chemical industry when it comes to transitioning away from “chemically intensive” farming practices.

“I’ve also met with the chemical industry and the fertilizer and herbicide companies, and they want to do the same thing,” Kennedy said.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), who sits on the Senate’s Agriculture Committee, praised Kennedy’s desire to crack down on chemical food dyes and additives, such as Red Dye No. 3, which the Food and Drug Administration banned in the final days of the Biden administration.

Reactions

Kennedy’s chances of securing enough votes to get confirmed are still up in the air, as his vaccine skepticism could cost him votes from key Republicans, such as Cassidy.

The chances of him winning over a couple of Democrats, some of whom are his former allies, appeared less than likely after the two hearings.

Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) said Kennedy gave “unsatisfactory answers” when explaining his position on vaccines. Markey said he would vote “no” on confirming Kennedy, who Markey called Kennedy “a living environmental legend” in 2008.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, declined to share how he would vote on Kennedy’s nomination.

Whitehouse, who was friends with Kennedy during their law school days, has been a fierce advocate for climate change science. When it comes to vaccine rhetoric, Whitehouse said to Kennedy: “You frighten people.”