{"id":20492,"date":"2025-02-04T19:32:12","date_gmt":"2025-02-04T19:32:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/?p=20492"},"modified":"2025-02-04T19:32:12","modified_gmt":"2025-02-04T19:32:12","slug":"breaking-the-senate-finance-committee-has-advanced-robert-f-kennedy-jr-s-nomination-for-hhs-secretary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/?p=20492","title":{"rendered":"BREAKING: The Senate Finance Committee has advanced Robert F. Kennedy Jr.&#8217;s nomination for HHS secretary."},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao MvWXB TjIXL aGjvy ebVHC \">The Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday voted to advance Robert F. Kennedy Jr.\u2019s controversial nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services under President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The panel voted along party lines, 14-13.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">It was a high-stakes vote for Kennedy, as with the committee\u2019s makeup it would have taken just one Republican to oppose him for his nomination to be potentially sunk.<\/p>\n<div class=\"oLzSq QrHMO fnRUo pvsTF EhJPu vPlOC zNYgW OsTsW RMeqy daRVX ISNQ sKyCY eRftA acPPc MENS nFwaT MCnQE mEeeY SmBjI xegrY rPLsU iulOd NIuqO zzscu lzDCc aHUBM IEgzD OjMNy eQqcx SVqKB GQmdz jaoD VWDdR ONJdw vrZxD OnRTz gbbfF roDbV GPGwb oMlSS gfNzt oJhud eXZcf zhVlX \">\n<div>\n<div class=\"InlineImage GpQCA lZur asrEW \" data-testid=\"prism-inline-image\">\n<figure class=\"kzIjN GNmeK pYrtp dSqFO \" data-testid=\"prism-figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"hsDdd vBqtr KrDt itslR zFTjo hakZw HlUVI \" draggable=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/cce53d87-e00f-4e78-8062-10b1209c23af\/robert-kennedy-4-rt-gmh-250130_1738257120523_hpMain.jpg?w=992\" data-testid=\"prism-image\" \/><figcaption>\n<div class=\"nMMea bNYiy Mjgpa dGwha DDmxa jgKNG RGHCC aBIU PriDW lZur \" data-testid=\"prism-caption\">\n<div class=\"HXPPJ barbu yKsXL IzgMt VcHIt uhSzI YGNMU cRAsZ xqMcl QtRul \"><span class=\"hsDdd OOSI GpQCA lZur VlFaz \" data-testid=\"prism-truncate\"><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ \">Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., President Trump&#8217;s nominee to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services testifies during a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing for his pending con&#8230;<\/span><button class=\"rmXUm rGbDS UbGlr fKEHm NQBmG kGyAC LDLer mrzbZ RzTJw hGXEb YKYa-d lqtkC HkWF HfYhe UoVV WtEci dSKvB seFhp NqeUA UzzHi YusgD gYkWv jIRH mLASH FSaCd VTMUD kzvcA VTlC KgrzM nMMea bNYiy qEZfD hukhf GZviH aMUVL VwboG LpXnG eFRhh fzuTW hUXYk TsdbM TkDoS NJHde eWOet BZZZx \" type=\"button\" aria-hidden=\"false\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-label=\"Show more\" data-testid=\"truncate-button\">Show more<\/button><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"qinlA IpWvx oqZz tylGM lyWxS nWcVF UhTug PPcLh \"><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ YNujN JGtjI aZFDu rkKLh \">Nathan Howard\/Reuters<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">All eyes were on Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican and longtime physician who, during last week&#8217;s hearings, expressed deep concerns about the impact of Kennedy&#8217;s past comments casting doubt on vaccines, including saying on a 2023 podcast that &#8220;no vaccine is safe and effective.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Cassidy told Kennedy he was &#8220;struggling&#8221; with his nomination as those proceedings came to a close. The two spoke more over the weekend and on Tuesday morning, Cassidy said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Cassidy voted on Tuesday to move forward with Kennedy&#8217;s nomination.<\/p>\n<div class=\" \" data-testid=\"article-conditional-render\">\n<div class=\"oLzSq QrHMO fnRUo pvsTF EhJPu vPlOC zNYgW OsTsW RMeqy daRVX ISNQ sKyCY eRftA acPPc MENS nFwaT MCnQE mEeeY SmBjI xegrY VvTxJ iulOd NIuqO zzscu lzDCc aHUBM hbvnu OjMNy eQqcx SVqKB GQmdz jaoD iShaE ONJdw vrZxD OnRTz gbbfF roDbV kRoBe oMlSS gfNzt oJhud eXZcf zhVlX \">\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;I\u2019ve had very intense conversations with Bobby and the White House over the weekend and even this morning,&#8221; Cassidy said in a statement posted to X earlier Tuesday, explaining his vote. &#8220;I want to thank VP JD specifically for his honest counsel. With the serious commitments I\u2019ve received from the administration and the opportunity to make progress on the issues we agree on like healthy foods and a pro-American agenda, I will vote yes.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Later, in remarks on the Senate floor, Cassidy spoke about what Kennedy assured him during those conversations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;Mr. Kennedy and the administration reached out seeking to reassure me regarding their commitment to protecting the public health benefit of vaccination. To this end, Mr. Kennedy and the administration committed that he and I would have an unprecedentedly close collaborative working relationship if he is confirmed,&#8221; Cassidy said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Cassidy said he will meet or speak with Kennedy multiple times a month, and will consult on hiring decisions at HHS.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The senator added that Kennedy also pledged to keep the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations &#8220;without changes&#8221; and the CDC &#8220;will not remove statements on their website pointing out that vaccines do not cause autism.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"oLzSq QrHMO fnRUo pvsTF EhJPu vPlOC zNYgW OsTsW RMeqy daRVX ISNQ sKyCY eRftA acPPc MENS nFwaT MCnQE mEeeY SmBjI xegrY rPLsU iulOd NIuqO zzscu lzDCc aHUBM IEgzD OjMNy eQqcx SVqKB GQmdz jaoD VWDdR ONJdw vrZxD OnRTz gbbfF roDbV GPGwb oMlSS gfNzt oJhud eXZcf zhVlX \">\n<div>\n<div class=\"InlineImage GpQCA lZur asrEW \" data-testid=\"prism-inline-image\">\n<div class=\"oLzSq QrHMO fnRUo pvsTF EhJPu vPlOC zNYgW OsTsW RMeqy daRVX ISNQ sKyCY eRftA acPPc MENS nFwaT MCnQE mEeeY SmBjI xegrY rPLsU iulOd NIuqO zzscu lzDCc aHUBM IEgzD OjMNy eQqcx SVqKB GQmdz jaoD VWDdR ONJdw vrZxD OnRTz gbbfF roDbV GPGwb oMlSS gfNzt oJhud eXZcf zhVlX \">\n<div>\n<div class=\"InlineImage GpQCA lZur asrEW \" data-testid=\"prism-inline-image\">\n<figure class=\"kzIjN GNmeK pYrtp dSqFO \" data-testid=\"prism-figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"hsDdd vBqtr KrDt itslR zFTjo hakZw HlUVI \" draggable=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/74bc9ca0-fa47-4f1d-8f85-551006222a5f\/bill-cassidy-abc-gmh-250130_1738253129463_hpEmbed_19x12.jpg?w=992\" data-testid=\"prism-image\" \/><figcaption>\n<div class=\"nMMea bNYiy Mjgpa dGwha DDmxa jgKNG RGHCC aBIU PriDW lZur \" data-testid=\"prism-caption\">\n<div class=\"HXPPJ barbu yKsXL IzgMt VcHIt uhSzI YGNMU cRAsZ xqMcl QtRul \"><span class=\"hsDdd OOSI GpQCA lZur VlFaz \" data-testid=\"prism-truncate\"><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ \">Sen. Bill Cassidy questions Robert F. Kennedy, Jr during the second day of his Senate confirmation hearing in Washington, Jan. 30, 2025.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"qinlA IpWvx oqZz tylGM lyWxS nWcVF UhTug PPcLh \"><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ YNujN JGtjI aZFDu rkKLh \">ABC News<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">President Trump said on Monday he&#8217;s called senators who have concerns about Kennedy. Vice President JD Vance had also been quietly lobbying senators to line up behind Kennedy, ABC News previously reported.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Kennedy&#8217;s nomination will next head to the floor for consideration before the full Senate. A final vote could occur this week or early next week.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that they expect &#8220;all Senate Republicans to stand tough and strong&#8221; and vote to confirm Kennedy to Trump&#8217;s Cabinet.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;Make America Healthy Again, that is a very popular slogan and it&#8217;s a very popular movement in this country. And there&#8217;s tens of millions of Americans who are hopeful that RFK Junior will be the next HHS secretary and we expect all Senate Republicans to stay on tough and strong and vote for him,&#8221; Leavitt said as she gaggled with reporters on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Questions have continued to swirl around Kennedy&#8217;s views on vaccines. He said several times during the hearings last Wednesday and Thursday that he supports vaccines and is not &#8220;anti-vaccine&#8221; but &#8220;pro-safety.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">However, Kennedy has openly questioned the widespread administration of both measles and polio vaccines, and has falsely linked the former vaccine to autism, despite several high-quality studies finding no such link.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">He also pointed to a flawed paper to suggest there is evidence to claim that vaccines cause autism. Cassidy, the top Republican on the Senate HELP Committe, said he saw problems with the paper&#8217;s methodology upon first look.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Kennedy also cast doubt on the lifesaving benefits of the COVID-19 vaccines, saying he doesn&#8217;t think that &#8220;anybody&#8221; can say the vaccines saved millions of lives.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">A\u00a0<a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" href=\"https:\/\/www.commonwealthfund.org\/blog\/2022\/two-years-covid-vaccines-prevented-millions-deaths-hospitalizations\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\">2022 study<\/a>\u00a0from the Yale School of Public Health and University of Maryland Medical School estimated the vaccine saved 3 million lives and prevented 18 million hospitalizations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Senators were also befuddled by comments Kennedy made in the past. Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado read aloud alleged past comments made by Kennedy, including unfounded claims about transgender children.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Kennedy denied making such comments despite repeated an unfounded conspiracy theory during an episode of his podcast in 2022, suggesting endocrine disruptors, including phthalates &#8212; which make chemicals more durable &#8212; and pesticides, can influence sexual orientation or gender identity.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; The Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday voted to advance Robert F. Kennedy Jr.\u2019s controversial nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services under President Donald Trump. &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":20493,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20492","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20492","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20492"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20492\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20494,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20492\/revisions\/20494"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/20493"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20492"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20492"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20492"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}