Robert F. Kennedy Jr. explained what he meant when he said public health agencies should be held to a “gold standard of scientific review.”
“The gold standard means real scientific research with replication of studies, which very rarely happens now at NIH,” Kennedy said, referring to the National Institutes of Health.
“We should be giving at least 20 percent of the NIH budgets to replication.”
President Donald Trump has not issued an executive order regarding negotiations over drug prices for the Medicare program, as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suggested during testimony, according to the White House.
However, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) did release a statement concerning the 15 drugs selected for the second cycle of a program related to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
In answer to a question about drug prices, Kennedy said, “My understanding is that the White House issued an executive order, I believe today, supporting the drug negotiations under the IRA.”
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) asked Robert F. Kennedy Jr. if he was a conspiracy theorist.
“That is a pejorative, senator, that’s applied to me mainly to keep me from asking difficult questions of powerful interests,” Kennedy replied.
He noted that he was called a conspiracy theorist for saying that the COVID-19 vaccines did not prevent infection or transmission of the disease. “And now everybody admits it,” he said.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) probed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about whether he would accept money from medical industry companies after leaving the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), if he is confirmed as the secretary.
“Will you commit that when you leave this job, you will not accept compensation from a drug company, a medical device company, a hospital system, or a health insurer for at least four years, including as a lobbyist or a board member?” she asked.
Kennedy confirmed he would not and joked, “I don’t think they want to give me money.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pushed back on Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto’s (D-Nev.) suggestion that he would be a “rubber stamp” for President Donald Trump’s agenda, saying that he was nominated because he is uniquely positioned to end the nation’s “chronic disease epidemic.”
“Senator, all of the other disputes we have about who’s paying and whether it’s insurance companies, whether it’s providers, whether it’s HMOs, whether it’s patients or families—all of those are moving deck chairs around on the Titanic. Our ship is sinking,” Kennedy said.
He noted that Medicaid spending has skyrocketed in recent years, “and no other nation in the world has what we have here. … We have the highest chronic disease burden of any country in the world.”
President Donald Trump signed an executive order last week rescinding his predecessor’s action that directed the health secretary to negotiate drug prices through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) asked Robert F. Kennedy Jr. how he would handle drug prices if confirmed to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and whether he would be a “rubber stamp” for the Trump administration or work to negotiate lower prices for Americans.
“My understanding is that the White House issued an executive order, I believe, today, supporting the drug negotiations under the IRA,” Kennedy replied.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. revealed that President Donald Trump asked him to investigate the safety of the abortion drug mifepristone if confirmed as Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary.
“We need to understand the safety of every drug—mifepristone and every other drug,” Kennedy said when asked whether medical professionals should be required to report adverse effects from the drug.
A medication abortion generally involves the use of mifepristone, which blocks progesterone, a hormone, and misoprostol, which induces contractions.
Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) noted that the Biden administration had denied his state federal funds under Title X—a program that funds family planning services—over the state's refusal to publicize an abortion referral hotline.
Lankford, who is pro-life, acknowledged that he had a difference of opinion with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on when life begins. He asked the nominee how he would handle Title X funding as Health and Human Services secretary.
Kennedy said he agrees with President Donald Trump on several aspects of the abortion debate and would follow the president’s lead.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) asked Robert F. Kennedy Jr. if he would remove employees at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) based on their political ideologies.
“I will commit to not firing anybody who's doing their job,” Kennedy said.
Warner asked if the nominee would do that, “based on your opinion, based upon your political agenda, or Mr. Trump's political agenda?”
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) noted that he had difficulty extracting information from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) under the Biden administration.
“I expect you to produce to me the records and data I’ve requested and instruct HHS contractors to fully cooperate with my investigation,” Grassley told Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“I also expect HHS to not retaliate against any whistleblowers, including those who identify ORR’s failures in vetting sponsors of unaccompanied [minors].”
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) accused Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of “pushing conflicting stories about vaccines” and their safety.
Wyden said the nominee went on the Lex Fridman podcast in 2023 and quoted him as saying, “No vaccine is safe and effective.” In a different podcast three years prior, Wyden said Kennedy had mentioned that if he could go back in time, he wouldn't vaccinate his children.
On Wednesday, Kennedy emphasized that he had vaccinated all his children.
On the eve of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s first confirmation hearing, a group of farmers sent a letter to the Senate Finance Committee urging the chamber to support the former presidential candidate’s bid to become secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).
“So much rancor has been fomented about Kennedy, yet healthier local food should bring all of us together,” Klar wrote.
During his opening statement, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. disputed news reports that have called him “anti-vaccine.”
“I am neither; I am pro-safety,” he said.
“I worked for years to raise awareness about the mercury and toxic chemicals in fish, and nobody called me anti-fish,” Kennedy said.
After speaking with senators on both sides of the aisle, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he is confident that the country can unite to improve America’s health.
“I promised President Trump that, if confirmed, I will do everything in my power to put the health of Americans back on track,” Kennedy said. “And I’ve been greatly heartened to discover a deep level of care among members of this committee, too—both Democrats and Republicans.
“I came away from our conversations confident that we can put aside our divisions for the sake of a healthier America.”
In his opening statement, ranking member Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) criticized Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for his personal views on vaccines and how he could influence parents’ decisions on whether or not to vaccinate their children.
Wyden said Kennedy has said his views are not intended to tell parents what to do with vaccinations but called this a “slippery slope” and an attempt to dodge the impact of his words.
“Coming from somebody who's trying to win confirmation for a job that is entirely about making recommendations, these recommendations are going to have life or death consequences for the American people,” Wyden said.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Kennedy’s first confirmation hearing starts at 10 a.m. ET before the Senate Finance Committee.
Here’s what to expect from the proceedings:
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), will appear on Jan. 29 at a confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Finance, which oversees HHS.
On Jan. 30, Kennedy will attend a forum hosted by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
While the former Democrat and independent presidential candidate will face questions from both panels, only the Senate Finance Committee will vote on whether to advance him to a full Senate floor vote.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the president’s nominee to run the Department of Health and Human Services, confirmed in federal documents he had parted ways with his nonprofit Children’s Health Defense.
President Donald Trump’s administration is gearing up for another round of confirmation battles.
So far, four of his nominees have cleared the confirmation process. Secretary of State Marco Rubio sailed through with unanimous bipartisan support.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem were also confirmed with relative ease.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the president’s nominee to run the Department of Health and Human Services, confirmed in federal documents he had parted ways with his nonprofit Children’s Health Defense.