RFK Jr. Confirmation Hearing Day Two - The Highlights

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced questions for a second day by members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on January 30, 2025.

This is a 45 minute edit of the three hour hearing.

Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA)

Cassidy: But it's no secret. I have some reservations about your past positions on vaccines and a couple of other issues. You had once described yourself as pro-vaccine to me. Now, the context of what I'm about to ask is that there's multiple studies establishing the safety of measles and hepatitis B vaccine, and specifically that they are not a cause of autism in this position. And you have previously said, yes. But if you are approved to this decision to this position, will you say unequivocally, will you? Will you reassure mothers, unequivocally and without qualification, that the measles and hepatitis B vaccines do not cause autism?

Kennedy: Senator, I am not going into the agency with any.

Cassidy: That’s kind of a yes or no question because, so if you're because the data is there and that's kind of a yes or no. And I don't mean to cut you off, but that really is a yes or no.

Kennedy: If the data is there, I will absolutely do that.

Cassidy: Now there is the data. Just because I used to I used to do hepatitis B, as I said. I know the data is there.

Kennedy: Well, and then I will be the first person if you show me to, I will be the first person to assure the American people to take it, take those vaccines.

Cassidy: Now, what concerns me is that you've cast doubt on some of these vaccines recently. I mean, like last few years, but the data and I can quote some of it, the data has been there for a long time. I've been out of the game. I've been in Congress for 16 years, and this data was in large measure, generated before I came to Congress. And so my concern is that that if you are making those claims and being so influential, I mean, your bully pulpit is incredible. With that responsibility that you never acquainted yourself with anything that might contradict that what you were previously saying. So let me ask once more, and these studies have been out some time and they are peer reviewed, and it shows that these two vaccines are not associated with autism, will you ask? No, I need even more. Or will you say no? This just I see this is stood the test of time and I unequivocally and without qualification say that this does not cause autism.

Kennedy: Not only I. All right. Well, apologize for any statements that misled people otherwise.

Cassidy: Yesterday, Senator Bennet in finance ask you if you had once previously made statements that Lyme disease was created as a military bio weapon and you said you may have said that once. Do you still believe that Lyme disease was created as a military bio weapon?

Kennedy: I've never believed that, Senator. What I said is that if that we should always follow the evidence. There were three books suggesting that I have not read them through. What I've said is we should always follow evidence, no matter what it says. I never have said that definitively. Lyme disease was created on a biolab.

Just wanted to note that Kennedy said he knows of three books that suggest Lyme disease was created as a bioweapon but he hasn’t read the books.

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT)

Sanders: There have been, as I understand it, dozens of studies done all over the world, that make it very clear, that vaccines do not cause autism. Now, you just said, if I heard correctly. Well, if the evidence is there, the evidence is there. That's it. Vaccines do not cause autism. Do you agree with that?

Kennedy: As I said, I'm not going to go into HHS with any preordained.

Sanders: I ask you a simple question, Bobby. The studies are all over the world. Say it does not. What do you think?

Kennedy: Senator, if you show me those studies, I will. Absolutely. As I promised to, chairman can say I will. All right.

Sanders: That is a very troubling response because the studies are there. Your job was to have looked at those studies as an applicant for this job, at a time when thousands of Americans were dying from Covid every week in May of 2021. You petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to revoke the emergency use of Covid vaccines. So my question to you is where the scientist who told us that the Covid vaccine was imperative, and President Trump, who told us that it was this great thing. Were they right or were you right, when you told people, that they should, not take Covid shots?

Kennedy: Senator, I filed that lawsuit after the CDC recommended the vaccine for a six year old children without any evidence that it would benefit them, and without testing on six year old children. And that was my reason for filing a lawsuit.

Sanders: Was the vaccine Covid vaccine successful and saving millions of lives?

Kennedy: I don't know. We don't have a good surveillance system, unfortunately.

Sanders: We don't know?

Kennedy: I don't think anybody can say that. If you do science, it shows that.

Sanders: You know, but you say, if I show you you're applying for the job. I mean, clearly you should know this. And that is the scientific community has established that the Covid vaccine saved millions of lives, that you're casting doubt that is really problematic.

Sanders: Let me, if confirmed in terms of making America healthy again, will you stand up to the White House and say, no, we cannot throw millions of children off of health care? Millions of elderly people out of nursing homes. We cannot cut Medicaid to give tax breaks to billionaires.

Kennedy: President Trump has made no indication to me that he intends to throw millions of people out of nursing home or deprive people of their health care. Senator, if health care system that's broken, it's not working. You've been working on it your entire career as Americans get less and less healthier as premiums.

Sanders: Bobby, I believe that the health care system is broken.

Kennedy: He has asked me to fix it.

Sanders: But my colleagues here certainly in the House of Representatives, are prepared to make massive cuts in Medicaid. Now, I happen to believe in a Medicare for all system guarantees health care to all people don't. That’s not what we're talking about. But in fact, there is serious discussion of massive cuts to Medicaid, which will have devastating hop on children, people in nursing. All I am asking you, if that proposal goes through you say, hey, you're not making keeping America healthy by throwing children off of health care.

Kennedy: Senator, I haven't seen any of the congressional proposals. I can only tell you what President Trump has told me, which is that he wants me to make Medicaid, Medicare and Obamacare better.

Sanders: Well, if you haven't seen those proposals, suggest you go to any newspaper. They're there.

Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)

Murray: I think we all agree that cancer is particularly nefarious chronic disease. And the American Cancer Society reported earlier this month that women under 50 are experiencing a dramatic increase in the incidence of that disease. Fortunately, there is clear data showing that the HPV vaccine has saved lives and cut cervical cancer rates dramatically. You have called the HPV vaccine, quote, dangerous and ineffective and said it actually increases the risk of cervical cancer. Do you stand by those statements? Yes or no?

Kennedy: The HPV vaccine. You know, I brought litigation. I represent, you know, I represented by your statements. I answered.

Murray: I'm trying to get a yes or no. It's a simple yes. Do you stand by your previous statement.

Kennedy: I litigated on that issue. I represented hundreds of young girls who felt that they were injured by the vaccine at trial. Is happening right now in Los Angeles. Well, let me. Those questions will be answered by a jury in at trial.

Murray: You said that no loving parents would allow their daughter to receive that vaccine. If confirmed as HHS secretary, would you recommend that parents get their children vaccinated against HIV?

Kennedy: I recommend that children follow the CDC schedule. And I will support the CDC schedule when I get in there, if I'm fortunate enough to be confirmed.

Murray: Would you recommend that parents get their children vaccinated against the measles? Yes or no?

Kennedy: Against measles? Yes.

Murray: Well, I just remind everybody that parents look to our health leaders for advice on these decisions. You would be a health leader. And for the record, I would like to put into the record his previous statements on on this these vaccines. I do want to ask you a question about character. I still believe character matters, and I want to let you respond to this. You were accused of sexual harassment and assault by Eliza Cooney, who was first hired as a part time babysitter by your family. When you were confronted about this accusation, you said you were, quote, not a church boy and that you, quote, have so many skeletons in my closet. You then texted Miss Cooney an apology and indicated you had no memory of what she described. Mr. Kennedy, I'm asking you to respond to those accusations. Seriously, in front of this committee, did you make sexual advances towards Miss Cooney without her consent?

Kennedy: No, I did not. And that story has been debunked.

Murray: But why did you apologize to her then?

Kennedy: I apologized for something else.

Murray: That. Well, that's not my understanding, are there? Let me just ask.

Kennedy: All you have to read is the text which she published is not for that.

Murray: That is not how I've read it. Are there any other instances where you have made sexual advances towards an individual without their consent? Just yes or no?

Kennedy: No.

Murray: Mr. Kennedy, we, you you said that you're going to say to NIH scientists, God bless you all. Thank you for your public service. We're going to give infectious disease a break for eight years.

Kennedy: Excuse me.

Murray:You said you were. You just said thank you for your service to our federal employees. You want to give infectious disease a break? That's a quote. Will you support the development and distribution of vaccines for the avian flu? Yes or no?

Kennedy: Will I for the avian flu? Yes.

Murray: But my time's almost up. But having read a lot and listen to lot, I just want to remind all my colleagues that by voting to confirm Mr. Kennedy, we would be telling our constituents he's worth listening to. That alone could get people killed before we even list a finger. Because he does not even need the levers of power to influence people, as we saw in Samoa. All he needs is a megaphone to affirm his views by voting to confirm him as our highest health official. We should not mince words about what that would mean when babies die from whooping cough, because parents weren't sure if the vaccine was safe. We will have to look them in the eye when measles sweeps through schools and hospitals nursing wards. Will this be worth it? There are political realities. We all get that. But there's also right and wrong in fact, and fiction. And there's also people staying healthy or dying pointlessly from diseases we can prevent because they thought Congress took its job vetting our health care secretary seriously. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.