WASHINGTON — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. rattled off statistics about chronic disease, sparred with Democratic senators, backtracked on his prior support for abortion, and accused senators of twisting his past remarks during a three-and-a-half-hour confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday.
Senators covered a mind-boggling range of issues as they grilled RFK Jr., President Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. During the high-profile hearing, RFK Jr. offered some concrete ideas to regulate food and nutrition programs, but didn’t offer details about his plans to change how the health care system works in the United States.
RFK Jr. readily offered promises to maintain access to vaccines, support global health aid programs, and retain HHS employees he viewed as doing their jobs, in an attempt to reassure skeptical senators. He framed his past criticisms of vaccines as noble efforts to attack powerful interests.
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