with market news international. chair powell, is a marked cut chair powell, is the march cut still on the table? are you looking to see better better-than-expected data on inflation tod cut or inflation data that is in line with current forecast? >> as i mentioned, the economy is strong, labor market is solid. downside risk appear to haveom abated. we think this inflation will continue on its work sometimes be path. thate tells me and the other members of the committee the broad sector of the committee actually is we don't need to be in her to adjust our policy stance. your second question was -- >> whether not unique to see better than expected inflation data or just inflation data that roughly aligned with your current forecasts. >> it's one of the things will know it when we see it. more context coffee expl make continue progress. that's what we want.

will do when we see it. it's going to have to be something that is just idiosyncratic. you want to see continued progress, housing services inflation, you don't wantss to e it -- that's the which going to be. is it better than expectations? we expect to see that. it's a question of when. >> in your five year review you said the 2% inflation target will not be on the table. can you talk about why? is that because -- >> we believe this broken but you can watch it any time on our website c-span.org. we take you live now to capitol hill were hhs secretary nominee robert f. kennedy, jr. is testifying before kustra for second straight day parties appearing before the senate h.e.l.p. committee. you're watching live coverage on

c-span2. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] >> i think you all about every angle you can get of the witness am going to call us to order.

thank everybody for being here. bobby, i see a family behind you and i like of him except for the nephew who is a florida gator. we'll of that that go. the cynic meant health, education, labor and pensions please come in order. bobby kennedy, i thank you for putting before the committee and for your willingness to serve our country as your family has served our country. you and i've talked at length about a variety of issues impacting americans health it is been candid conversation on a very much appreciate your willingness to engage. there are many things you cannot agree on. what in total agreement on the need to address overprocessed food to reduce obesity. and obesity of course the leading cause of chronic disease and, therefore, shorter lifespans. this will be a priority in this committee and i look forward to collaborating with you if you are confirmed.

but it's the secret had some reservations about your past positions on vaccines and a couple other issues. and so we know a lot about you. i'll tell you a little about myself. before he entered politics or even thought about running for office i practiced medicine for 30 years working at public hospitals in california louisiana specializing in liver disease, caring for those who otherwise would not affect a specialist. if you will dedicate my life to saving lives, that is, eating a doctor. there is a moment in my career that really informs me now. in the early 2000s i was loading a patient onto an air a blitz, an 18-year-old young woman -- and air ambulance -- to go to get a liver transplant from acute livers failure due to hepatitis b. merit an adult her entire life and never come all the hopes and dreams she might want the

children, grandchildren, future generations, wiped the way if she did not get to the hospital in shreveport for emergency transplant. the transplant, and invasive, 2000, quarter of nine dollars surgery that had a five to 10% mortality rate but even if she survived, lever with a liver transplant and hospital bills every year of $50,000. as she took off his worst day in my medical career. because i thought $50 $50 oe could have prevented this all. and that was an inflection point in my career. and since then i tried to give their care to make sure i never have to speak to another parent about their child dying due to a vaccine preventable disease. so i worked with community and business leaders to form a public-private partnership in

the capital region of louisiana. we . we vaccinated 36,000 children for hepatitis b, and since the cdc and the acip have recommended universal vaccination for children, number of acute hepatitis b cases in our country has declined by almost 90%. so as a physician is been involved in a ministry programs seen the benefits of vaccinations. i know they save lives. i know they are a crucial part of keeping our nation healthy. now, bobby, i have learned you got a tremendous following. my phone blows up people who really follow you. there are many who trust you more than they trust their own physician. and so the question i need to have answered is what would you do with that trust? whether it's justified or not, and you may not want this to be the case, but i have

constituents who partly credit you for their decision to not vaccinate their child. that's a real conversation. and i'm hearing from them and they want you confirmed. now, you're going to those this week as you did i think you'll tell us today as you did in a finance committee yesterday that you are pro-vaccine. so, so what will you tell the american mother? will you tell her to vaccinate her child or to not? or, to have a conversation with her doctor but for many that will be permission to not vaccinate their child. we know that to be the case. so your past undermining confidence in vaccines with ungrounding or misleading arguments concerns me. can i trust that that is now in the past and data and information change her opinion, or will you only look for data supporting a predetermined

conclusion? this is imperative. you will have the responsibility to restore trust in our public health institutions in this position you have. now let's turn a little political. i want president trump to be successful. it's important for our country. any action you take as hhs secretary will shape his legacy. and we both want the legacy to be positive. so thank you for coming before the committee, for being willing to serve, and i look forward to today's conversation. with that i yield to my ranking member senator sanders. >> thank you, senator cassidy, chairman, and mr. kennedy, thanks for being with us. i'm going to discuss vaccines which senator cassidy raised and has some concern for all of us but before i go there i wanted to congratulate you in a sense

for the phrase make america healthy again. i think that is a cry that all of us, a goal that all of us share. because as you indicate we are a very unhealthy society. we are the richest country in the world and yet we rank far below every other major country in terms of our life expectancy. that's outrageous. to me equally outrageous is that the working class in this country you going to live six or seven years shorter lives than if you are rich. in america today 68,000 people die every year because they can't get to a doctor. they can't afford to get to a doctor. you pointed out yesterday the outrageous cost of healthcare in america. two or three times more than other industrialized countries are paying. unbelievably in this country hundreds of thousands of people deal with cancer struggling for

the lies or do know what happens? they go bankrupt. they deplete their life savings. in other words, when we talk about making america healthy, you've got to talk about a a broken, corrupt healthcare system. your uncle president kennedy, your father bobby kennedy, great senator from new york, your uncle sat right now where senator cassidy is sitting, chairman of this committee. all of them did what i think is the right thing. they said healthcare is a human right. they looked all over the world and saw every other major country guaranteeing health care to all people whether rich or poor, young or old. so i'm not quite sure how we can move to making america healthy again unless we have the guts to take on the insurance covers, drug companies and guaranteed healthcare to all. i'll be asking you questions about that. lowering the cost of

prescription drugs. how do you make america healthy again if one out of four people in this country cannot afford the price of prescription drugs, which is far higher in america than any other country on earth? under president biden we made some progress and this committee played an active role in having medicare begin for the first time negotiating the price of drugs that we are paying. i'm going to ask you whether or not you will demand that president trump follow what we accomplished here. we are the only major country on earth not to guarantee paid family and medical leave. mr. kennedy, there are women today who are having babies that then they will go back to work in a week or two because they have no guaranteed pay family and medical leave. how do you have a healthy country when women are forced to go back to work, when women and men get fired because they stay

home taking care of their sick kids? that's not making america healthy again. and i would go a little be on the jurisdiction of health and human services but i think it's important. if you're working 50 or 60 hours a week making 13, 14 bucks an hour, , which is what millions f americans tend to be making, will you join those of us who think that in the united states, wealthiest country in earth, people work 40 hours a week, they should not live in poverty, got to raise a minimum wage to a living wage? and lastly, and we discussed this very briefly, president trump elites that climate change is a hoax. i happen to believe, and most americans believe god that virtually the entire scientific committee believes that it is an existential threat to this planet. i don't how you're going to make america healthy again, or keep the world healthy when you have

massive heat waves and droughts and floods and extreme weather. lucien had them, vermont had the. that's not keeping america healthy. that's not within the jurisdiction of hhs but i surely hope that you will come if you are confirmed, demand the president trump changes position work with those of us who are trying to transform our energy system and, in fact, keep america healthy by oppressing the crisis of climate change. tremont. >> thank you, senator sanders. now would like to look more nominate mr. roberts f kennedy, jr. mr. kennedy has a long career as an attorney, advocate for very health and environmental concerns come he's championed a range of issues like healthy foods and efforts to fight chronic disease will calling for greater transparency and accountability in a public health infrastructure. mr. kennedy as an important opportunity to reform the department and restore trust in our federal health agencies. i look for to hearing more about his policy laertes and his plans

to this president trump agenda to make america healthy again. i thank you for joining us today and i will now turn over to mr. kennedy to introduce himself. >> is your microphone on? issue microphone on? >> thank you, chairman cassidy, thank you, senator sanders. ranking members and ranking member sanders and other members of this distinguished committee, cheryl and i were heartbroken last night to learn the tragic accident that took so many of our fellow americans, including our servicemembers. we are in an apartment where we are able to see the rescue operations from our window. american -- senator marshall, please know that i will continue, continue to pray for you as i texted you last night

for those who are lost to call your state home, as well as senator kaine and senator alsobrooks and we appreciate the first responder can local officials are working so hard. may god continue to be with us all, and all who are impacted and those who continue to help with the recovery. i'm humbled to be sitting hooted as president trump's nominee to oversee the u.s. department of health and human services. i want to thank president trump for entrusting me to deliver on his promise to make america healthy again. i'm grateful to have my family here once more with me. i want to introduce my wife cheryl, my daughter kick, my son bobby, by daughter-in-law amaryllis, and my nephew jackson. what to think them as well as

the many members of my large extended family for the love they have so generously shared. want to particularly thank you, mr. chairman, for the time you spent with me and the times we talk in person and by phone. greatly admire your passion for public health and your commitment to science. and this committee is blessed to have a medical doctor at the helm and two other medical doctors, dr. marshall and doctor rand on the committee. iceland yesterday that my journey in the issue of health begin with my chris environmental lawyer. working with hunters and fishermen and others, in community in small towns along the hudson river i learn that human health and environmental health are intertwined and inseparable. the same chemicals that kill fish also sick and human beings today, americans overall health

is a grievous condition for over 70% of adults and a third of children are overweight or obese. diabetes is ten times more prevalent than in 1960. cancer among young people is rising by one or 2% per year. autoimmune diseases or developmental orders, asthma, alzheimer's, , adhd, depression, addiction, and a host of other physical and mental health conditions are all on the rise. united states has worse health than any other developed nation. yet we spend more on health care sometimes double, sometimes triple as other comparable nations. last year we spent 4.8 trillion not counting the indirect cost from missed work. that's almost one-fifth of gdp. it is tantamount to a 20% tax on the entire economy. no wonder america has trouble competing with countries, pay a

third of what we do for the health care and yet have a healthier workforce. i do want to make this too much about money. it's a human tragedy -- president trump has promised to resurrect america's global strength in her leadership, and restore the american dream. he understands that we can't be a strong nation unless we are healthy people. i healthy person is 1000 dreams, a a sick person has only one. today, over half our countrymen and women are chronically ill and that only one dream. when i met with president trump last summer i discovered that he is more than just a concern for this tragic situation but genuine care. president trump has committed to restoring the american dream and

77 million americans delivered a mandate to do just that. due in part to his embrace and elevation of the make america healthy again movement. that movement led largely by moms from every state, many of whom have traveled to beer and yesterday and today. send it is, this is one of the most powerful and transcendent movements i've ever seen. the nation is ready for change and recognizes that this is a unique inflection moment. i promised mr. trump at it confirm do everything in my power to put the health of america back on track. i have been greatly heartened to discover a deep level of care among members of this committee both democrats and republicans. i came away from our conversations hopeful we can put aside our divisions for the sake of a healthy america. for a long time the nation has been locked in the devices

healthcare debate about who pays. well, with healthcare costs reach 20% of gdp there are no good options, only bad ones. shifting the burden around between government and industry and corporations is like changing deck chairs on the titanic. our country will sink beneath the sea of desperation and that if we don't change course and asked the fundamental question, what are health care costs so high in the first place? this obvious, , the obvious ansr the question is chronic disease. cdc says over 90% of health-care spent spent goes towards managing chronic disease. which hits lower income americans hardest. the president's pledge is not to make some american self again but to make all americans healthy again. there's no single culprit for chronic disease. much as i've criticized certain

industries and agencies, president trump and i know that most of the scientists and experts genuinely care about american health. therefore, we will bring together all stakeholders in pursuit of this unifying goal. before i conclude i want to make sure this committee is clear about a few things. news reports in many we heard yesterday claimed that i'm anti-vaccination and at the industry. well, i neither. i am pro-safety, pro-good science. i work for 40 years to raise awareness about mercury and other toxics in fish, nobody called me anti-fish. all my kids are vaccinated. i believe vaccines have saved lives and play a critical role in healthcare. nor am i the enemy of food producers. american farms are the bedrock of our culture and our national security.

i was a 4-h kids and i spent my summers on ranches. i want to work with our farmers and food producers to remove burdensome regulations and unleash american ingenuity. we simply cannot succeed if we do not have the partnership of america's farmers. in my advocacy i have often disturbed the status quo. by asking uncomfortable questions. and i'm not going to apologize for that. we have massive health problems in the country that we must face honestly, and the first thing i have been in the morning for the past 20 years is to pray to god that he would put me in a position where i can in the chronic disease epidemic and protect our children. that's why i'm so grateful to president trump for the opportunity to sit here before you today and seek your support and your partnership in this endeavor. i'll conclude with a promise to

you, mr. chairman,, members of this committee, to the president and most of all to the tens of millions of parents across america, especially the moms, who have propelled this issue to center stage. should i be so privilege as to be confirmed, we will make sure our tax dollars support healthy foods with a scrutinize chemical additives to our food supply. we were remove the financial conflicts of interest from the agencies if we will create an honest, unbiased science driven hhs, accountable to the president, to the congress and to the american people. we will reverse chronic disease epidemic and put the nation back on the road to good health. thank you. >> thank you, mr. kennedy. i'll start. for everyone's information, yesterday finance went wrong. this is not the star chamber. this is why think most people

can get the questions out in five minutes. and so i let it go a little over five but out of deference to her weight is who's already testified for three hours, i'll be in bold type. that said, at the end taking the arrangement of the chairman's privilege will have a chance the two of us will have chance to ask a little bit more and that's what you get for being the chair. so that said, let's begin. bobby, if i may, because you said i could, you have once describe yourself as pro-vaccine to me. now that contact context about as multiple studies establishing the safety of measly hepatitis b vaccine and specifically that they are not the cause of autism. in this position and you have previously suggest, but if you are approved to this decision, to this position, will you say unequivocally, will you, will you reassure mothers unequivocally and without

qualification that the measles and hepatitis b vaccine do not cause autism? >> senator, i am not going into the agency with any speed kind of a yes or no question. because, so because the data is up there. that's kind of a yes or no. i don't mean to cut you off but that really is a yes or no. >> if the date is in there i will absolutely do that. >> now there is the data just because i used it, i used to do hepatitis b as i said. i know the date is in there. >> then i will be the first person, if he shall be data, i will be the first person to assure the american people that they need to take those vaccines. >> what concerns me is that you passed out on some east saxons recently like the last two years but the data, the data has been there for a long time. i been out of the game, i've been in congress for 16 years at

this data was a large measure generated before he can to congress. so my concern is that if you're making those claims and being so influential, i mean you are following us on credible. with that responsibility that you never acquainted yourself with anything that might contradict that what you are predeceasing. so let me ask once more. if the data is brought to you and these studies have been out there for quite some time and peer-reviewed and it shows that these two vaccines are not associate with autism, will you ask no, i need even more comparable you said no, this, i see this, it's the test -- stood the test at him and i unequivocally and without qualification say that this does not cause all it is a? >> not only will i do that but i will apologize for any statement that misled people otherwise. >> thank you. next, -- >> i just want to pledge to you that i will never stick unappointed so much of the date of this as i'm wrong.

i know that's an interpretation. people have what is absolutely wrong. >> the concern is and how persuadable people are. let me go on because i have limited time. yesterday senator bennet finance asked you if you it was previously made a statement the line disease was created as a military bioweapon and you said you may have said that once. do you still believe that line disease was commuted as a military bioweapon? >> i i never believed that, senator. what i said was that if we should always follow the evidence. there were three books suggesting that. i have not read them through but what i said is we should always follow, no matter what it says. never said that i thought lyme disease was great in the bio lab. >> next, again this would be a yes or no. do you commit that you will revise any cdc recommendations

only based on peer-reviewed consensus-based widely accepted science and another was not personally with the police of any single person that you are your department may identify? >> absolutely, senator. i am not, , i'm not going to go into hhs and impose my preordained opinions on anybody at hhs. i'm going to empower the scientist at hhs to do their job and make sure that we have good science that is evidence-based, that's replicable where they, the raw data speeds almost untouchable to get to another question. do you promise fda will not reprioritize or delete review and/or approval of new vaccines and that vaccine review standards will not change from historical norm? >> we will have to pass vaccine standards with safety studies and i will speeded that's a bit of a different answer than the

question i asked. because what is the best could be in the eyes of the holder. let me read again. promised that the fda would not de-prioritize or delay review and/or approval of new vaccines and that vaccine review standards will not change from historical norm? >> yes. >> great. with that i will set a good example and i yield my time to -- >> thank you, chairman cassidy. i'm going to do what i very rarely do which is follow up on a question from senator cassidy. there have been, , as i understd it, dozens of studies all over the world that make it very clear that vaccines do not cause autism. you just said if i heard correctly if the evidence is there. the evidence is there. that's it. vaccines do not cause autism. do you agree with that?

>> as i said i'm not going to go into hhs with any preordained speedy i asked a simple question, bobby. that is all over the world say it does not. what do you think? >> senator, if you show me those studies, i will absolutely as i promised to chairman cassidy i will speedy that is a very troubling response because the studies are there. your job is to look at those studies as an applicant for this job. all right. let me ask another question about this one about covid. scientists at the yield school of public health and universe estimated the covid vaccine saved 3 billion lives and prevented 18 million hospitalizations. president trump, someone who i do not often agree with, has said that the covid vaccine was quote, one of the greatest miracles of the ages. that's a donald trump. but bobby, you had a very different perspective at a time when thousands of americans were dying from covid, every week in

may 2021, you petition the foodd and drug initiation provoke the emergency use of covid vaccines. so my question to you is on where the scientists who told us that the covid vaccine was imperative and president trump are told was that it was a great thing, where they write or were you write when you told people that they should not take over chop? >> senator, i filed the lawsuit after cdc recommended the vaccine for six-year-old children. without any evidence that we would benefit them and without testing on six-year-old children. that was by reason for filing the lawsuit. >> was a vaccine covid vaccine successful in saving millions of lives? >> i, i don't know. we don't have good surveillance system unfortunate. >> you don't know? >> i don't think anybody can say

that. >> science says that. you say if i show you, you are applying for the job. clearly you should know this. and that is the scientific community has established that. that covid vaccine saved millions of lives. you are casting doubt. that is really problematic. let me ask you another question on another subject. my republican colleagues and president trump are moving toward making massive cuts in the medicaid in order to provide tax breaks for the wealthiest people in this country. as as a sure you know medicaid provides health insurance to tens of millions of children, provides the funding for two out of every three seniors in nursing homes. it provides for 3% of revenue for community health centers, something i feel strongly about. and it is so important for

millions of people. if confirmed, in terms of making america healthy again, will you stand up to the white house and say no, we cannot throw millions of children off of healthcare come millions of elderly people out of nursing homes? we cannot cut medicaid to get ge tax breaks to beginners? >> president trump has made no indication to me that he intends to throw millions of people out of nursing homes or deprive people of their healthcare, senator. and the healthcare system is broken, it's not working. you been working it your entire career. as americans to less and less healthier, as premiums rose -- >> bobby, the healthcare system is broken. speed you asked me to fix it. >> but my colleagues here, sort in house of representatives are prepared to make massive cuts in medicaid. now i happen to believe in a

medicare all system that guarantees health to all people. not what we talked about. but, in fact, their serious discussion of massive cuts to medicaid which will have devastating on children, people nursing home. all in asking you if that proposal goes there would you say hey, you're not making keeping america healthy by throwing chill off medicare? >> i dicing any proposals that i cannot say what president trump has told me. which is that he wants me to make medicaid medicare and obamacare better. >> if you haven't seen those proposals i i suggest you go o any newspaper. thank you, mr. chairman. >> senator paul. >> i think the discussion over vaccines is so oversimplified and downed down we never really get to real truths and it's why people appear are so separated from real people at home. we talk about hepatitis b is a terrible disease. it can lead to liver failure. but the reason you discussed the people at home one don't believe

anything to say, they don't leave government at all is you are telling my kids to take a hepatitis b vaccine when he's one day old. you get into drug abuse and sequiturs that it that's i get hepatitis b. but you telling my kid asked to take it at one day old. that's not science. and so every person with a bit of common sense even people who don't resist vaccines. i've asked did all my kids probably the vaccines are one of the modern miracles beyond all pale. a great book about induction of smallpox vaccine in 1720 into our country. all miracles. but i'm not a one-size-fits-all. it's not all or nothing i chose to wait on a hepatitis b vaccine. we did when he went to school. that that make an awful person? does that make the and anti-vax or because a question the government dictate of whether i do it? i do speak to anybody else, only speaking for myself but for goodness sake let's haven't honest debate about these things. the covid vaccine if you asked me my opinion reporters up up-and-down on they say isis at

the vaccine? no, i'm pro-vaccine. on the covid vaccine and covid illness, the difference between the elderly and children. if you don't want to acknowledge that you are committing malpractice pig you are showing your ignorance. if you say a six-month-old must be mandated to get it, the science is not there. so all this blather about the sciences this and the science says that, , no, it doesn't. the science shows no healthy jump in america died from covid. look it up. no healthy child died from covid. so the thing is is that it's a thousand foot crater. if you ask my vice speaker 65 or older or overweight and some of the conditions, i would've said hell yes, i would take the covid vaccine. the risks of the disease were real and much greater than the vaccine. but if you ask you should buy mac healthy six -month-old get it. see, these are the nuances you are unwilling to talk about because the such a belief in submission to submit to the government.

do what you're told. there's no discussion. there ought to be up-to-date. inequitably met the debate because you're going to criticize and say it is this an imminent to it and will not appoint you. it's more complicated than that. this is what people distrust government because you're unwilling to these conversations and go home, ask your democrat young mothers, republican young mothers if the vaccinating the giver gipper hepatitis b and there like you have to do it on day one? precious little baby. is assigned to say he shouldn't do it? probably not but it's my kid. there is an clear-cut science say not to. but on autism, there's no good sites of anything to show what causes autism. we don't know. it's a profound disease i know many moms here and dads with kids with autism i i know personally i bet the kids but the thing is is they saw the kids developing completely normal, may be speaking 100 words go to no words at about 15 months of age. there is an proof, there is up with the vaccines caused it. that's true there is a proof

that accosted but we don't know what causes it get so should they be at least be open-minded? 72 vaccines come could be? i don't know. we shouldn't close it up and say we are no longer because we believe so much in submission will not have open-minded to study these things. it's this crazy notion, schizophrenia would put in the same notion. a kid who's completely normal to 18 or 19 and their brain goes haywire. how does that happen? it's the most bizarre disease. shouldn't we be open? could it be our food? might be vaccines, might be a food but autism is more common. i do know about the schizophrenia statistics but autism is more common. should we want to be open-minded? where so close minded and consensus driven the site says of this. science doesn't say anything. science is a dispute continues and that we could all be wrong. we were told in the beginning 20 years ago there's an enormous study they said anybody over 50 should take an aspirin. i thought that's a pretty good idea, make sense. 20 years later they measured it

and it out if you have no heart disease and taking aspirin your chance of dying from a brain bleed or from a stomach bleed or greater than risk of heart disease. if you have heart disease based does it take an aspirin. if you don't, change their mind 20 years later. would you falsettos crazy and i should no longer be in public discourse if i sit 20 years ago i ride my bike all the time, on the freedom i hit my head. that's what the country is about, so just ask you to look at the larger picture and give the guy a break to says i just want to follow the signs e it leads without presupposition. really what we have a peer is presupposition. you've concluded its absolute that autism is an caused by, we don't know what causes autism so we should be more humble in what we say. sorry i didn't get to a question. >> for the record, for the record if a child is born to a hepatitis b mother, that child

may have 95% chance of becoming a chronic care to but speedy and refax it those people and nobody is against that. that's a very small percentage and i -- that's not what were talking about. 99.9% of kids don't have hepatitis b mom and couldn't wait a while? could they get a taxi to three much vaccinated three much for your? yes. >> so again for the record, if the mother is hepatitis b status is known, then that can be delayed. the problem is oftentimes of the significant percentage of the time the mothers status is not known. if she's hepatitis b positive i vaccine on day one of life prevents chronic hepatitis b 95% of the time. so it depends upon the mothers, the knowledge of the mothers hepatitis b status when they used to do just okay we know the mothers status or not, there's a that that's not to come her status is unknown, we can blame -- but for the record, there is

an absolute rationale for that. but you're right come if the mothers status is definitively known that it can be safely delayed. so no, senator murray. >> thank you, mr. chairman. hhs has really brought and critical responsibilities to protect and preserve health care and social social services from women's health, child care, to biomedical research. in light of last night tragedy i do want to express my thoughts and prayers but it is i think a painful reminder to all of us that we need competent people running our federal agencies to respond when a crisis strikes. mr. kennedy, let me start by talking a vaccines. i think we all agree that cancer is particularly nefarious chronic disease. and the american cancer society reported earlier this month women under 50 are experiencing a dramatic increase in incidence

of that disease. fortunately, there is clear data showing that the hpv vaccine has saved lives and get cervical cancer rates dramatically. you have called the hpv vaccine quote, dangerous and defective and said actually increases the risk of cervical cancer. do you stand by the statements, yes or no? >> the hpv vaccine, i i brougt litigation represents. yes or no? do you stand by statements per? let me answer. >> i'm trying to get to just over its esophagus or no. do you stand by a previous day the? >> i i litigate on that issue. represented hundreds of young girls who felt that they were injured by the vaccine. that trial is happening right now in los angeles. >> let me -- >> those questions will be answered by a jury at that trial. >> you said that no loving parents would allow the daughter

to receive that vaccine. if confirmed as hhs secretary would you recommend pair to get their children vaccinated against -- >> i recommend that children follow the cdc schedule. and i will support the cdc schedule when i get in there. if i'm fortunate enough to be confirmed. >> would you recommend parents give their children vaccine against the measles? >> against measles? yes. >> well, just remind everybody, parents look for health lives for advice on these decisions. for the record i would like to put in the record his previous statements on these vaccines. i do want to ask about character. i still believe character matters and i want to let respond to this. you were accused of sexual harassment and assault by allies occurred was first hired as a part-time babysitter by her family. when you were confronted by this accusation you said you were quote not a church boy and you quote have so miscount since in

my closet. you then texted her and apologize and dedicated no memory of what you describe. mr. kennedy, i'm asking you to respond to those accusations sears in front of this committee. committee. did you make sexual advances toward her without her consent. >> us know, i. that story has been debunked. >> why did you apologize in? >> i apologize for something else. >> well, that's not me understand. let me ask speed on your street is the text which she published. >> that is not hereditary of the other instances where you made sexual advances towards an individual without the consent, yes or no? >> no. >> no. mr. kennedy, you said you're going -- got bush are, thank you for book service we will give infectious disease a break for eight years. >> excuse me?

>> you said you just said thank you for your service to our federal employees. you want to give infectious disease a break, that's a quote. when you support the development and distribution of vaccines for the avian flu, yes or no? >> will i -- for the avian flu? yes. >> my time is almost up but having read a lot and listen to a lot i just want to remind all my colleagues that by voting to confirm mr. kennedy we would be telling our constituents that alone could get people killed before he even lets a finger because it is that even need the levers of power to influence people as a sign samoa. all he needs is a megaphone. to affirm his views by voting to confirm it as a highest health official, we should not mince words about what that would mean. when babies die from whooping cough, because parents were not sure of the vaccine was safe, we have to look them in the eye. when measles sweeps through

schools and hospitals, nursing wards, will this be worth it? that are political realities, we all get that but there's also right and wrong, fact and fiction. there's also people staying healthy or dying pointlessly from diseases we can prevent because they thought congress took our job seriously. >> will go out of order and go to senator marshall. he would like to be able to view the press conference regarding the tragedy on a plane from wichita. senator marshall. >> thank you, mr. chairman. thank you, mr. kennedy for your kind words this morning, for your caring text last night and am grateful for all my colleagues, most everybody reaching out to us. certainly it's a tough day for kansans and many others who lost loved ones. we will look forward meeting with the present later today and those loved ones and just what everyone back home to know that we're wrapping our arms around

them, we are mourning with them and we will get through this together. so thank you. mr. kennedy, take a second and just described why fighting chronic disease is so important to you. who are we fighting for? what is your role as hhs secretary and is or anything that is a bigger priority than this? >> thank you, senator. when i was a 10-year-old boy my uncle was in the white house, the chronic disease on american general was 2%. today it's 66%. the cost of chronic disease and are countrywomen oco was president was zero. there were not even a treatment for chronic disease at that time. today, the cost is 4.3, 4.4, $5 trillion. it's bankrupting our country.

77% of american kids can't qualify for military service. 38% of teens according to an h last report which was three weeks ago, 38% are diabetic or prediabetic. when all was president the typical pediatrician one or two cases of diabetes in a lifetime, juvenile diabetes. today is more than a third of the kids who walk through his door. or her door, is diabetic or prediabetic. autism rates have gone from one in 10,000, or one in 1500 to one in 10,000 and what state you look at her in my generation 70-year-old man today come in a chilled it's one in 34. the explosion, i had 11 siblings, dozens of first cousins speed mr. kennedy, i'm sorry, so -- what your role as hhs secretary to fight the disease? >> there's never been an age as a sector who came into this.

was all about the hhs secretary who came into this. it was typical partisan debate about how we allocate the cause whether insurers pay it or whether hospital, providers or families paid. the costs continue to rise. all the things were debating on our kids are getting sicker and sicker. >> to coach you from yesterday, it's like we're moving the chairs on the titanic. >> the ship is sinking. and nobody is paying attention to it. and yesterday i got, i can't question after question from the democrats about measles. in 1963, the year before the measles epidemic, the measles vaccine was introduced, i've hundred american kids died, almost all of them extremely poor and malnourished. we have 252 million americans who are suffering from chronic disease, and none of them i mentioned diabetes, i didn't

mention heart disease, i didn't mention cancer yesterday. we need to refocus it were going to save our country with, this is exited to. our coaches duckling to be -- just look at the marginal tax rate. if we get this issue wrong, and i am in a unique position to be able to stop this epidemic. >> mr. kennedy, i want to contribute as one of the three positions on here and even as i listen to my friends across the aisle, my conclusion is that we have to guard physician-patient relationship and give those parents of the skids information, all three of us are going to disagree on exactly who or should or shouldn't get a particular vaccine. we all recognize the incredible successes of different vaccines as well. but we have to give the american public the best information, nonbiased information, and a love to get your response that

but i've an important question for folks back home. this will be my last question. i have never seen a person whose words written and spoken have been so misattributed, exaggerated, sensationalized taken out of context. what you speak to my farmers and ranchers back home and tell me about your, you know, where did he fit into this role of -- how were going to work within and just your compassion towards these farmers and ranchers? >> it will not succeed without the cooperation and partnership of agricultural producers of farmers and ranchers across this country. i was a for each kid. i grew working on ranches and i've worked for years representing farmers in various forms of litigation. thomas jefferson said that american democracy is rooted in tens of thousands of independent -- owned by farmers for we're losing farmers today and we can't afford to lose a single

farmer. on my watch i do not want to lose a single farmer. we have to offer farmers and offramp from chemically intensive agriculture which of the to what to do with even the chemical industry is ready to change. into, so that they can grow crops that they can sell in europe. so they can grow crops. four out of five of his brothers in law have parkinson's. there's illness all over the farm community and it is undoubtedly related to the intensity of chemical pesticides. >> mr. kennedy, -- >> need to reduce that. i'm not going to do anything coercive. president trump was the best president in modern american history for the american farmer. the first one to see farm prices go up. he has instructed me to take care the farms and make sure they are full partners. >> thank you. >> senator baldwin. >> thank you, mr. chairman.

mr. kennedy, i have been listening to the back and forth and questions cover with people have tried to pin you down you have said speeded can you speak up, senator baldwin? >> yes. i been listening to the back and forth to the questions of what people try to pin you down on it point you say show me the data,, or bring me the studies. and i want to suggest that data is out there and the studies are out there and you are going to review all the studies and did come you going to be doing that, if confirmed, for your first year of being secretary. when we talked, we were talking bit about vaccines at the end of our meeting and you said really to me that there's no postapproval station monitoring. that led me to believe that you were not aware of the significant and ongoing safety monitoring that occurs after years of rigorous studies showing vaccines to be safe and effective. i want to give you the opportunity to set the record straight here. are you aware of the measures in

place throughout health and human services to ensure vaccine safety after approval, yes or no? >> i aware of the sith which cdc admits passes through than 1% of vaccines. >> so you're aware of speeded i'm also aware speedy they were of the fda postapproval monitoring? >> i'm aware of only two systems are you were of the vaccine safety datalink. >> was oh, yeah, i'm very aware that. >> are you aware of the vaccine adverse records has an. >> i'm of the vaccine safety datalink that cdc keeps under lockbox on whether clinical immunization safety assessment project? >> as i said speeded are you aware of these -- >> i'm aware they are broken and i can explain to you how each one of those is broken if you're interested. what i want to do is make sure the gold standard science. we get the conflicts off the

panels so people, you know, this congress -- >> what i listed right now are some of the guardrails that are in place to ensure that life-saving vaccines are safe and effective. this is after numerous clinical trials, rigorous studies and reviewed by an independent panel of experts that show vaccines are safe and effective which is available to all the public. if you want to take a second look at the science like you said, well, it's here. it's available. and it's conclusive. saying anything else is undermining vaccines. to a different -- >> by the way, repeating what congress in 2000 investigation -- >> mr. kennedy, i want to move what hope will be pretty simple stuff. in general, for a drug to be considered safe would you say 97, 98% of people taking that drug and having no complications is generally safe?

>> it would completely dependent what the drug is. if the drug is given to a healthy population that would not be -- >> this isn't as high-level as it gets. would you say 99 out of 100 people experienced minimal or no complications at that drug is safe? >> it depends on what the risk is from the disease. it depends what the benefit from the drug is. if you're dying of cancer, you will take a drug with the kind of risk profile. >> if we were to talk about peer peer-reviewed -- >> if you're healthy individual -- >> i'm talking mifepristone. if we were to talk about peer-reviewed replicable studies of the medication, would you say you needed ten trusted studies to get the same conclusion? >> it depends on what speedy 20 trusted study? >> it depends on what -- >> what's your number? >> it completely depends on the kind of study you talk about randomized study or observational studies? >> is a safe to assume

one-hitter studies that are replicable and peer-reviewed is enough? >> it could be one study it was a powerful enough study. >> the most widely used medication abortion drug mifepristone has been fda approved for nearly 25 years. more than 100 study has confirmed that 99% of patients who took the abortion pill had no complications. so with all of that, i can only conclude that you would commit to keep this science back and proven medication on the market and accessible for women. is that correct? >> i'm going to call with mifepristone, president trump is not chosen a policy and i will implement his policy. >> so regardless of the studies, regardless of the data can regardless of the site, you've been taught that show me the data come show me the studies speeded well, if you speeded

would you have the policy regards of what the site says? >> senator, the devil is in the details. if you're telling me 99% of women, okay, 1%.com i would say say that is not a risk profile. >> that is that what studies show. >> i know but you're not showing me. i need the details from the study before i, i can't buy a pig in a poke. shoulder with the study says. >> let's move on. next it would be senator mullin. >> thank you mr. kennedy for being here. we have fortunately been able to form quite a friendship over the last year and i appreciate it, appreciate the in-depth conversations we've had. i want to point out i don't i don't understand why my call is all of a sudden say we can't question science. it absolutely blows my mind that all of a sudden it's it's such a shame that bobby sitting at science because i guarantee you

if he was sitting here use can be the sect of hhs underneath the former president biden which i enjoy saying former president i would bet you you guys would have his back 100% editor the fact he's questioning science. and would probably support his position when 100% of the s nonpublic and said you guys like we offer rail and had to he question science. my god if we didn't question science where would we be today? we've always question science. science is always evolving, always changing. have a class a whited it is healthy. don't have a glass of wine a day, have a piece of chocolate. dark chocolate is healthy. take an aspirin as senator rand paul pulled up what would be be today if we never question science? this an issue i have as a father of six the when my kids cannot from getting the vaccines it look like a freaking pincushion. ..

a savior because you are not getting the powerful deformities as they were experiencing and europe. she questioned up and say i don't care what happens to me. and republicans you cannot question. let's use one and 10000 and that's not the pandemic, what is x1 and 36, i used to be one in

10000 of autism we should look at every aspect of what we are putting in our kids. one 36, that scares the living daylights out of us i can have 36. the youngest is seven being very serious and god bless you for doing that. [applause] >> congratulations on your nomination, i enjoyed our

conversation. you for starting off today and thank you for acknowledging this. senator marshall in d.c. maryland but also when the passenger this comes down and the three soldiers revealed, every officer will have connection you have your staff here. i drove to the airport operation recovery and landing in the pentagon a couple months ago you post on your account on 9/11

it's hard to tell what is spears a theory. i'd like to for the record. we take that pretty personally. virginians know what happened on 9/11, we don't know they are getting oxygen, conspiracy theories about 9/11 one thing i noticed is it was in july after 9/11 president. what made you decide in the midst of everything wrong in your own candidacy for president that now is the time to say it's hard to tell what is spears he and what is. what was so july of 2024?

to say i won't take sides. as president i won't take sides on 9/11. as a general matter, do you find hard to tell what is the conspiracy theory and what is let's light. that is the job of the citizen

skepticism you are in authority but on 9/11, your admitting -- what is the conspiracy. what is. >> if the things i investigate can't people are allowed to hold that opinion. i'm not going to tell them they are crazy. what is your evidence i hear the evidence, i will say that doesn't make sense. asking questions about brazil, a vaccine manufactured in the end of the hpv vaccine, i'm going to enter into the record a series of studies from many nations talk about the dramatic effect. i entered into the record? studies from south one, sweden,

uk, australia, united states i will introduce to the record i guess it's a blog post of yours, now capable. a pretty significant financial interests litigation. you have received your people suing the manufacturing. >> let me read a quote, your words for this nomination to the referral agreement, i'm entitled to receive 10% of these cases referred to the firm, how can folks who need confidence in federal vaccine programs trust independent and sign space when you stand to gain significant funding and lawsuits against

vaccine manufacturers are successful? one of the views of our country, we have documents that show us the right direction. the pursuit of happyness has unalienable rights and the importance of life. still the case? >> i will, president trump's policies. are you having any that are pro-life?

>> i can tell you exactly, there is no mistake. president trump and late-term abortion. >> are you hiring people who are provide? during the first trump administration, policies that support individuals, this is continued to dedicate time spell disease related activities across hhs and the. what you commit to individuals served? >> yes, i've worked on sickle-cell for many years. i have many friends who have sickle-cell. i've seen the suffering they endured. there are now therapies, they

are very expensive. we should be enthusiastically supporting this research. >> today he noticed the fda, there is evolution in science, a one-time here to support the? >> absolutely must senator. >> you to the majority of iv drugs devastated by hurricane howling, facilities across the country face shortages. they tried to shore up support in hospitals creating facility that helped hospitals across the state. we must do more proactively to address shortages and chris as well as provide promote medical

products here in the u.s. however you prioritizing efforts to prevent and reduce shortages? >> president trump has told me it's his priority to bring manufacturing back to this country. it is a priority hands was a priority for me as well. >> information of pharmaceutical supply chains and adjust shortages and long-term security. >> absolutely must senator. >> one of the things we study, i had two opportunities and you on

time but it's important to recognize we are in a critical place as nation so dependent on other nations for the essential, healthcare and beyond. we got to work on a strategy of resilience in the essential areas and we hope you will spend a lot of time all the layers and complexity have we become more resilient as a nation. >> president trump is doing that through hhs in the pharmaceutical industry leaders to figure out what incentives

they need, every manufacturing home. >> samuel murphy. >> thank you very much. credibility matters so much when you bust health system in the world. hhs has to be trusted he's telling the truth. i want to go back to your testimony yesterday when their claim ignorance about the clear statement you made in the past you outright denied saying things about the vaccine program you undoubtedly set hindsight, i want to give you another chance to be honest about the things you said.

senator warnock asked yesterday if you compared america's vaccine program catholic church pedophilia scandal. you say you've never said that. i'm not asking you to explain the. >> the other question. >> you said senator warnock asked if you compared america the holocaust. can you say -- >> i did not say that. >> 's and asked you yesterday named an allegation disease in africa that is an america. do you recall the different one?

>> de it was very different in the united states, the list of symptoms is almost completely different. >> so let me submit this for the record having denied first few, let me read what said. he said in 2013, is it hyperbole to say who run systems should be in jail? to me, this is like death camps. but what does to the families. i can't tell why ordinary germans participated in the holocaust. i can't tell you what was going on in their minds with respect to the pedophilia scandal.

it's a perfect metaphor for what's happening the same reason we have scandal in the catholic church because people were able to convince subs is more important is little boys and girl being raped. i don't agree on a lot hhs secretary to question science, i think it's important but you've made up your mind, you spent your entire career undermining america's vaccine program. purposeful comparisons to those ministering the vaccine program to the x mission is covered up catholic church pedophilia scandal is admitted decision there is a comparison that there

is evil in the vaccine program as the camps. you've made up your mind, you spent your entire career trying to undermine these programs. this reason they are incredibly aggressive. he unbelievable secretary, you are all of a sudden system with science. people who spend their career saying these kind of things running the campaigns you run don't all of a sudden change the rights. i will submit these statements. [laughter] >> the thing about the catholic church is almost identical. the government oversight, investigation committee and the

vaccine program 2003. he said certain individuals in the program have written off generation of kids because of will is based loyalty because of entanglements with the drug companies not allowed. >> the administration of vaccines -- >> it perfect metaphor. kids with neurological injuries. >> is it a perfect metaphor? >> it's not perfect but there's no perfect metaphor. i am broke vaccine. i want kids to be healthy and coming in here to get rid of the conflict of interest to make

sure we impose evidence-based science. if you show me a single statement i've made about science being erroneous -- >> thank you very much. welcome, i enjoyed our conversation last month in our office and thank you for remembering as you did again today, my uncle who recently passed away, it was kind of you to remember them. let me start asking about children in the safety children. president biden's administration is hhs -- >> we are to take you live her remarks by president trump the plane crash in washington d.c. >> and their families, please.