Trump’s Secretary of Health, RFK JR candidate survives in the heated audiences before the crucial confirmation votes

The fuel on the back Senate Confirmation Audiences Are over.

But Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s The candidate for the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is still facing the Crucial Commission and the confirmation of the full Senate in its mission to address 18 powerful federal agencies that supervise the food and health of the country.

Wednesday testifying to the Senate Finance Commission and the Health Committee, the skeptical and environmental Croat of the vaccine that he headed to the White House in 2024 before ending his offer and approved Trump faced this to many verbal fireworks during past controversial comments.

And, although most of the hard questions and their positions on vaccines, abortion, medicaid and other issues came from Democrats to both committees, Thursday’s view ended with the highest Republican of the Health Group saying That he was “fighting” with Kennedy’s candidacy.

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“Your past of undermining confidence in vaccines with unfounded or misleading arguments worries me,” GOP Bill Bill Cassidy He told the candidate.

Louisiana’s doctor, who is a crucial vote and has expressed concern about Kennedy’s past position on vaccines, asked if Kennedy can “trust to support the best public health.”

And the senator told Kennedy, who aims to direct key health agencies such as diseases control and prevention centers, food and drug administration, national health institutes and Medicare and Medicid service centers during the weekend. ”

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Kennedy faced two days of plate on his controversial past comments, including his repeated claims in recent years Link the vaccines to autism, which has been neglected by scientific research.

And the Democrats have also highlighted the Kennedy service for years as president or legal counselor in the health defense of children, the non -profit organization he founded that he has defended against vaccines and sued the federal government. on several occasions, including a challenge about the authorization of the Covid vaccine For children.

One of the most heated Thursday exchanges was independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont pushed Kennedy for his past to link vaccines to autism.

Sanders stated that “vaccines do not cause autism” and asked Kennedy “do you agree with that?”

After the candidate did not answer, Sanders answered, “I asked you a simple question, Bobby.”

Kennedy replied, “Senator, if you show me these studies, I will apologize absolutely …”

“This is a very worrying response because studies are there. Your job was to have studied these studies as a request for this job,” Sanders said.

Later in sight, the two also collided with political contributions to the pharmaceutical industry, with Kennedy referring to Sanders simply as “Bernie”.

“Almost all members of this group, including yourself, are accepting millions of dollars of the pharmaceutical industry and protect their interests,” said Kennedy.

Sanders promoted -immediately: “I presented -I presented to president like you. I obtained millions and millions of contributions. They did not come from the executives, nor a nickel of PAC (Political Action Committee) of the pharmaceutical (companies) They came.

Another burning moment came when the Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan, New Hampshire, seemed to fight tears as he pointed out his son’s struggles with cerebral palsy in the midst of the allegations that “partisanship” was behind issues. Forceful of Democrats in Kennedy.

Hassan, in the eyes of Wednesday accused Kennedy “sold” to Trump altering his position on abortion, on Thursday accused the candidate of “relevant settled science” on Thursday.

But many of the group’s Republicans came to the defense of Kennedy, including conservative senator Rand Paul.

The Kentucky ophthalmologist defended Kennedy and aimed at comments on vaccines that do not cause autism.

“We do not know what autism causes, so we should be more humble,” Paul told the applause of Kennedy’s supporters of the audience in the Committee’s room “Make America again.”

The 71 -year -old Kennedy a Sion of the most stored political dynasty of the nation, launched a long -haul campaign for the Democratic Presidential Candidate against President Joe Biden in April 2023. But six months later he goes move on to an independent candidacy for the White House.

Kennedy returned to great headlines last August when he left his presidential candidacy and approved Trump. While Kennedy had long identified as a Democrat and repeatedly invoked his late father, former senator Robert F. Kennedy, and his deceased uncle, former President John F. Kennedy, who were killed in the 1960’s, Kennedy in recent years built relationships with far -right leaders due in part to their high -profile vaccine skepticism.

Trump announced shortly after the November election that he would name Kennedy his cabinet to run HHS.

Kennedy whose opinions were taken out Great pharma And the food industry has also caused controversy, said that it aims to change the focus of agencies that would oversee the promotion of a healthy lifestyle, including the revision of dietary guidelines, which is obtained in the Ultra food processed and reaching the causes of chronic root diseases.

“Our country will not be destroyed because we get the marginal tax rate to be wrong. It will be destroyed if we get this problem to be wrong,” Kenendy said on Thursday as he pointed out chronic illnesses. “And I’m in a unique position to be able to stop this epidemic.”

The Finance Committee, which will decide on whether to send Kennedy’s nomination to the full Senate, does not yet have to schedule a date for a confirmation vote.

With Republicans who control the Senate by a majority of 53-47, Kennedy can only lose the support of three GOP senators if Democrats join their confirmation.

And, in addition to Cassidy, two other Republicans of the Health Committee, without Susan Collins de Maine and Lisa Murkowski, of Alaska, are possible “without” votes in Kennedy.

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Collins questioned Kennedy on Thursday about vaccines, the immunity of the herd and his views on Lyme’s disease. Kenendy pledged that there is no “anyone to fight stronger for a treatment for Lyme’s disease”.

A 50-50 vote in the Complete Senate would force the Vice President JD Vance to act as a tiebreaker to push Kennedy’s candidacy at the top, as the Vice President did last week with the confirmation of another controversial candidate, now secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.