President-elect Trump’s nominee for the Health and Human Services Department, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is facing scrutiny from some Republican senators due to his past criticism of vaccines and support for abortion access. However, despite these concerns, many senators who have met with him early on are not expressing outright opposition to his nomination.
In a bid to secure their votes for his confirmation, Kennedy has been meeting with nearly two dozen senators this week. When approached by STAT, more than a dozen senators on Tuesday indicated that they are not ready to oppose Kennedy’s nomination at this stage. While some senators did express reservations about his views on vaccines, particularly his false claims that polio vaccines have caused more harm than the actual virus, none have outright rejected his nomination.
A recent report revealed that one of Kennedy’s associates filed a petition to remove a polio vaccine from the market, prompting Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to issue a statement warning against any efforts to undermine polio vaccinations. This has raised concerns among some senators about Kennedy’s stance on vaccines and public health.
Despite these reservations, it appears that Kennedy is making headway in his meetings with senators and is actively working to address any concerns they may have. As the confirmation process continues, it will be interesting to see how these discussions unfold and whether Kennedy’s controversial views on vaccines and other health issues will impact his chances of leading the Health and Human Services Department under the new administration.
