What to expect at RFK Jr.'s first Senate hearing as health secretary

WASHINGTON – Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy wanted an assurance from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. earlier helium would ballot to enactment him successful complaint of the nation's $1.7 trillion wellness department.

Kennedy's past of promoting conspiracy theories oregon misspeaking astir vaccines alarmed Cassidy, helium said during a confirmation hearing earlier this year.

So, the Louisiana legislator asked: "Can I spot that that is present successful the past?"

Kennedy didn't springiness a nonstop reply that day. Now 3 months into the job, however, Kennedy's wont of casting doubts connected vaccines has returned successful interviews connected tv shows, nationalist speeches and societal media posts.

Kennedy volition marque his archetypal quality arsenic wellness caput earlier Cassidy’s almighty Senate wellness committee connected Wednesday, erstwhile he's expected to look aggravated scrutiny astir the thousands of occupation he's eliminated astatine the Department of Health and Human Services, the steep cuts he's made to vaccination campaigns and his effect to a measles outbreak that’s sickened 1,000 people.

He volition talk astir the agency’s fund request for the year, which includes a $500 cardinal boost for his “Make America Healthy Again” inaugural to beforehand nutrition and healthier lifestyles. The projected fund besides makes heavy cuts, including to infectious illness prevention, maternal wellness and preschool programs.

The caput plans to "share his imaginativeness connected however HHS’ translation volition amended wellness outcomes, destruct redundancies to prevention the American taxpayer, and streamline operations to amended ratio and service,” HHS said successful a connection to The Associated Press.

Kennedy’s supporters, meanwhile, person viewed his archetypal 3 months successful the occupation arsenic a palmy transportation of “MAHA” docket items: He's pressured nutrient companies to ditch artificial dyes, promised to survey the origin of autism, vowed to reverse fluoride recommendations and earned buy-in from respective Republican governors to prohibition soda from the nutrient stamp program, for example.

But galore eyes and ears volition beryllium connected Kennedy's dialog with Cassidy, who extracted a fig of guarantees from Kennedy astir his attack to vaccines. Those included promises to support the existent puerility vaccination schedule, usage the existent vaccine monitoring strategy and not region statements that accidental vaccines bash not origin autism connected the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

“I volition ticker cautiously for immoderate effort to wrongfully sow nationalist fearfulness astir vaccines betwixt confusing references of coincidences and anecdote,” Cassidy said earlier this year, aft voting successful favour of Kennedy's nomination.

Kennedy has since delivered a mixed message connected vaccines that nationalist wellness experts person said are hampering efforts to incorporate the measles outbreak. He's offered endorsements of vaccinations but continued to rise questions astir their efficacy oregon safety. He's said the puerility vaccine docket volition beryllium examined successful a survey of autism's causes. He’s called the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine — a changeable fixed to children to supply immunity from each 3 diseases — “leaky,” though it offers beingness protection from the measles for astir people. He's besides said they origin deaths, though nary has been documented among steadfast people.

At the agency, too, he's made moves that enactment the anti-vaccine movement. He hired a antheral who has published probe that suggests vaccines origin developmental delays to oversee a survey connected autism. And he's terminated immoderate probe and public wellness funds dedicated to vaccines.

Kennedy, who has rejected the anti-vaccine label, has regularly said that helium is “pro-safety" and wants much probe connected vaccines, though decades of real-world usage and probe person concluded they safely forestall deadly diseases successful children.

“His longstanding advocacy has ever focused connected ensuring that vaccines, and different aesculapian interventions, conscionable the highest standards of information and are supported by gold-standard science,” HHS said successful a statement. “As helium did during confirmation, Secretary Kennedy is prepared to code questions surrounding this topic.”

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