mr. kennedy. mr. kennedy: i am pro safety, i worked for years to raise awareness about the mercury and toxic chemicals in fish and nobody called me anti-fish. and i believe that vaccines played a critical role in health care. all of my kids are vaccinated, i've written many books on vaccines, my first in 2014. the first line of it is i am not anti-vaccine and last line is i am not anti-vaccine. nor am i the enemy of food producers. american farms are the bedrock of our culture, our politics, our national security. i was a 4h kid and i spent my summer working on ranches. i want to work with our farmers and food producers to remove burdensome regulations and unleash american ingenuity. i simply cannot succeed without a full partnership of american farmers. in my advocacy, i've often disturb the status quo. by asking uncomfortable questions. well, i'm not going to apologize for that. we have massive problems in this country that we must face honestly. and the first thing i've done every morning for the pa

mr. kennedy what are we going to , do about that? mr. kennedy: today 15% of , american kids are on adderall, and there's clearly a major problem with overprescription, not just with our children, but with our entire population. we have 4.2% of the world's population, and we take 50% of the pharmaceutical drugs. and there's a recent study by peter ghosh, who is one of the founders of the cochrane collaboration, that showed that prescription drugs are now the 3rd largest cause of death in our country after cardiac arrest and cancer. oh, we're not getting healthier. americans are getting less and less healthy. 70% of pharmaceutical profits globally come from our country, which has 4.2% of the world's population. we're the only country that allows full-scale pharmaceutical ads on tv, and we're all being told you can make yourself, you can eat anything you want, you can smoke anything you want, you can do anything you want, and there'll be a drug to fix you in the end, and it is not a good formula. and and our kids are getting sicker and sicke

mr. kennedy. mr. kennedy, i will begin. each of us will have five minutes to ask you questions and then at the conclusion of the hearing if there are further questions, there will be an opportunity for those questions to be submitted to you and i ask that you respond to them promptly. mr. kennedy, you have emphasized the importance of nutrition in preventing and managing chronic disease, improving health outcomes and reducing health costs. i share your interest in the relationship between our diet and our well-being. if confirmed i look forward to partnering with you on those efforts. would you share with the committee why you are passionate about the nutrition-oriented disease prevention and what you have learned. >> yes, mr. chairman. i have 11 brothers and sisters. i had das dozens of first cousins. i was raised when we didn't have chronic disease. when my uncle was present 2% had chronic disease, now it's 60%. today we spend 4.3 trillion a year on chronic disease with 77% of our kids cannot qualify for military service.

mr. kennedy. and now i recognize senator wyden for his opening remarks. thank you very much, mr. chairman. the question. before the finance. >> committee this. >> morning is whether robert. >> f kennedy. >> should be trusted with. >> the health and well-being. >> of the american people. >> committee staff have. >> examined thousands. >> of. pages of. >> statements, books. >> and podcast transcripts. >> in a review of. >> his record. the receipts show that. >> mr. kennedy. >> has embraced. >> conspiracy theories, quacks. >> charlatans. especially when. >> it comes to. >> the. >> safety and efficacy of vaccines. >> he has made it. >> his life's work to sow doubt and discourage parents. >> from. >> getting their kids life saving vaccines. >> it has been lucrative for. him and. >> put. >> him on the. >> verge of. >> immense power. >> this is the. >> profile of. someone who chases money and. influence wherever. >> they lead, even. if that may mean. >> the tragic deaths. of children and other vulnerable

mr. kennedy. >> so, mr. >> kennedy. >> i don't. >> have a. >> question for. >> you on abortion. >> i think that my colleagues on both. sides of the. >> aisle have covered. >> this, but i want to. >> say i can respect people who have different views. >> than mine on this issue. but it's hard for me to respect people who won't give. >> a straight answer to what. >> they think on this. >> issue in particular. mr. chair. >> i just want to. >> note that i. >> understand that anti-choice. >> advocates have. >> said that in these hearings, they were looking to hear mr. kennedy. provide some reassurance that he is on their side. and i'm not hearing that. and i think most americans are looking for some. >> hint that. the decisions. >> that people make about abortion should be personal and private, and they should be free to make those decisions without government interference. and i'm not hearing. that either. to make it worse, the answers that you have given tell me that the trump administration is more t

mr. kennedy. and now i recognize senator wyden for his opening remarks. >> thank you very much, mr. chairman. the question before the finance committee this morning is whether robert f kennedy should be trusted with the health and well-being of the american people. committee staff have examined thousands of pages of statements, books and podcast transcripts. in a review of his record. the receipts show that mr. kennedy has embraced conspiracy theories, quacks, charlatans, especially when it comes to the safety and efficacy of vaccines. he has made it his life's work to sow doubt and discourage parents from getting their kids life saving vaccines. it has been lucrative for him and put him on the verge of immense power. this is the profile of someone who chases money and influence wherever they lead, even if that may mean the tragic deaths of children and other vulnerable people. now, mr. kennedy is fond of saying he's not making recommendations about whether parents should vaccinate their children.

mr. kennedy. this is personal for me, when as i young woman and i was struggling with depression, thankfully, i had the resources to help me get through it. including a new generation of ssri uptake reinhibitors which helped to clear my mind, get me back on track to being a mom, a wife, and a productive, happy person and i'm grateful for that therapy so i have some experience with this and i think that everyone should have access to that care, and your job as secretary is to expand access to care, not to spread lies and misinformation. and the things that you say, mr. kennedy, they live on. they have impact, and we're having this conversation at the same moment that my republican colleagues are looking to try to figure out how to save money any way they can so they want to cut medicaid. if you're performed would you be responsible for cms which provides mental and behavioral healthcare to millions of americans, close to 40% of folks on medicaid have a behavioral health condition and would you be p

mr. kennedy. i think the president selected mr. kennedy because of the compelling message around make america healthy again. host: which we will talk about. i want to ask you do you believe he is qualified for the position? guest: i do. he was selected by the president. host: do you believe he is qualified because he was selected by the president or because of his qualifications? guest: i think both. it is a really important position. i think that mr. kennedy brings attributes and skills to that position that are going to be a good fit. host: make america healthy again. walk us through some of those key points. guest: i think it is diagnosing the state of american health. if you look at many measures of american health, one of the principal ones being life expectancy, we have been in decline. starting in 2014, for three straight years, life expectancy in the u.s. decline. and then of course, we had the pandemic and the tragedy around the pandemic. life expectancy is lower now than it was a decade ago. i think you have an increase in

mr. kennedy? i'm not sure. >> and on the eve of his. >> hearing, his first cousin, president. >> kennedy's daughter. ambassador caroline kennedy, issued a video excoriating his lack of medical background. >> or management experience. while also. >> calling him a predator. >> i've known bobby my whole life. we grew up together. it's no surprise that he keeps birds of prey as pets because bobby himself is a predator. >> joining us. >> now, nbc's vaughn hillyard on. >> capitol hill, nbc's brandis. zadrozny. well our investigative. >> reporter, doctor. >> kavita patel, a physician and former. >> policy advisor to. >> president obama. and doctor paul offit. director of the vaccine education. >> center at the children's. >> hospital of philadelphia. >> he's also the co-inventor of a rotavirus vaccine. so. >> vaughn, first. >> to you. >> you interviewed. >> rfk jr. in the past, he has indeed flip flop, changed his positions on vaccines and on abortion at this hearing. what stood out to you? >> right. i th

mr. kennedy. >> mr. kennedy, it's just a really simple question. >> yeah. >> you've taken in $2.5 million. i want to know if you will commit right now that not only will you not go to work for drug companies, you won't go to work suing the drug companies and taking your rake out of that while you're a secretary. and for four years after. >> it's just i'll commit to not taking any fees from drug companies while i'm secretary. i, i. >> i'm asking about fees from suing drug companies. will you agree not to do that? >> you're asking me to not sue drug companies. and i'm not going to agree to that drugs companies. as much. >> you want. >> i'm not going to agree to not drug companies or anybody. >> so let's do a quick count here of how, as secretary of hhs, if you get confirmed, you could influence every one of those lawsuits. well, let me start the list. you could publish your anti-vaccine conspiracies, but this time on us government letterhead, something a jury might be impressed by. you could appoint. >> i d

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 a

mr. kennedy, i'm confused. you have clearly stated in the past that bodily autonomy is one of your core values. the question is do you stand for that value or not? when was it that you decided to sell out the values you have had your whole life in order to be given power by president trump? >> senator, i agree with president trump that every abortion is a tragedy, that we can't be a morale authority in this country. >> that isn't what you said back in new hampshire in 2023. my question is exactly when did you decide to sell out your life's work and values to get this position? >> senator, i agree with president trump that every abortion is a tragedy. >> what you are telling us is that regardless of what you believe, regardless of what values you have, if president trump tells you to do something, you are going to do it. you said just now that the discussion of the abortion drug. he asked me to study the safety of it. here are the safety studies that tell us that this drug is safe and effective. i ask mr. chair

mr. kennedy. i have an absence only because i have been in another hearing with a nominee to be the commerce secretary. i will review everything that you said today and look at that diligently. one of the things i wanted to discuss with you as i represent an innovation state. innovation in health care specifically. innovation like nih funding to the fred hodge cancer center, which helped to develop the hpv vaccine, which has the potential to eliminate over 95% of cervical cancer. nih also funds a lot of jobs and grants nearly 11,000 people in the state of washington and over $1.2 billion worth of grants. while i agree with you on healthy foods, i definitely am troubled by the medical research side of innovation. and some of the things you have said. in fact, this issue about laying off 600 employees at nih, or two quotes, give infectious disease a break for 8 years. we have had a chance to talk about this a little bit. the most striking example of this is when covid hit. we were the first in the n

mr kennedy, welcome. thanks for— johnson. mr kennedy, welcome.a ”3 “first for decades long you for your decadesl . l: for a you for your decadeslong for a clean i cannot health. i cannot say i'm by health. i cannot say i'm - by the - health. i cannot say i'm by the hostile t—ifm i'm attitude by some although i'm surprised by you called not surprised by it. you called me ”p— not surprised by it. you called me up. you _ not surprised by it. you called me up you were me up and you were contemplating your contemplating setting your political aside, political differences aside, joining _ political differences aside, joining with political differences aside, joining on with political differences aside, joining on an with political differences aside, joining on an area of agreement, trump on an area of agreement, addressing — trump on an area of agreement, addressing illness, and addressing chronic illness, and to iné cause trying to find the root cause of problems the my first response was, nation. my first response was, this is— nation. my first respon

mr. kennedy is a democrat. or a former democrat. in president trump's republican cabinet, there is something about having a kennedy serve under president trump that strikes my fancy, at the end of the day mr. trump won the election, big time. he will inact his policies, using his designated advisors and agency heads if they don't understand that, they will soon be gone, get it? i got it. that is the riff. that is all i got. joining my now, to hash through this. we'll have some who agree some who don't. alex marlow. breitbart, we have byron york. chief political correspondent at washington examiners and fox news contributor, and ben domenech editor at large at the spectator thank you. alex, by wait breitbart has a spiff i front row seat in the white house press room, i know that is not what we're here to discuss but it is cool. >> thank you, amazing day for us, nice to get that acknowledgment from press secretary. and just old media guard is crumbling we're thrives in new media just, a great moment, and the next 20 years will be sweet

mr. kennedy. um, so, mr. kennedy, i don't have a question for you on abortion. um, i think that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle have covered this, but i want to say i can respect people who have different views than mine on this issue. but it's hard for me to respect people who won't give a straight answer to what they think on this issue in particular. mr. chair, i just want to note that i understand that anti-choice advocates have said that in these hearings, they were looking to hear mr. kennedy provide some reassurance that he is on their side. and i'm not hearing that. and i think most americans are looking for some hint that the decisions that people make about abortion should be personal and private, and they should be free to make those decisions without government interference. and i'm not hearing that either. um, to make it worse, the answers that you have given tell me that the trump administration is more than willing to restrict or even ban medication abortion without a singl

mr. kennedy: i am pro safety. lisa: it's a change from his past words and tone. mr. hey poisoned an entire generation of american children. lisa: kennedy has a long history of vaccine skepticism, the washington post found dozens of disparaging statements including , about routine childhood vaccines -- like for for measles, mumps and rubella - at times wrongly claiming that vaccines cause autism. mr. kennedy: what is the cure for measles? chicken soup and vitamin a. all of my kids are vaccinated. lisa: today kennedy put his views this way. mr. kennedy: i will do nothing as hhs secretary that makes it difficult or discourages people from taking vaccines. in my advocacy, i've often disturbed the status quo by asking uncomfortable questions. well, i'm not gonna apologize for that. lisa: but democrats railed against him as someone with dangerous health theories. >> did you say lyme disease is a highly likely militarily engineered bioweapon? mr. kennedy: i probably did say that. lisa: and as someone, they say, who is posturing to get this job. >> it doesn't matter what you

mr. d kennedy. mr. trump tells him what he wants and mr. kennedy is there to implement mr. trump's vision. things he said years ago and now backed off autism, vaccination and so forth. not important. doesn't matter. and people do change, give him the benefit of the doubt and b, because he has assured the president that he will carry out the president's policies. one example of that showed up on the hearing of medicaid today. medicaid gotten way too big. 10 million more people today than precovid. total spending has grown giorgini 60% to $963 billion and it's a sum larger than the defense budget. and it's quite likely that mr. trump will restore incentives to work for the able bodied and that includes medicaid, which is supposed to be a poverty program for those that are physically incapable of work. mr. kennedy addressed his desire to reform and reduce medicaid as per president trump's policy and you said it several times during the hearing. here's one of them, take a listen, please. >> our ship is sinking and 60% increase in medicaid over the past four years and it's the b

mr kennedy, for you. thank you. mr kennedy, - forioining _ you. thank you.anks forjoining us. i your passion and you e:ée,?§ a: z: is you have spent years belief and you have spent years reatty _ the - belief and you have spent years really the issues really talking about the issues that matter to you and i that. let me appreciate that. let me ask you appreciate that. let me ask you a couple — appreciate that. let me ask you a couple of— appreciate that. let me ask you a couple of questions, where i -m— a couple of gueztm: where 5 some clarification, and need some clarification, and there — need some clarification, and there is— need some clarification, and there is a _ need some clarification, and there is a 40—year—old law that requires hospital emergency accepting payment from =e= =2—— ca re care to patients, so emergency care torpatiente; a say emergency care torpatients; so - say a emergency care torpatients; so say a woman experiencing let's say a woman experiencing a heart — let's say a woman experiencing a heart attack goes to the er, you would a-ree

mr. kennedy, i'm confused. you have clearly stated in the past that bodily autonomy is one of your core values. >> senator, i agree with president trump that every abortion is a tragedy. >> reporter: though republicans were largely supportive, bill cassidy of louisiana, who is also a doctor, pressing kennedy to outline his ideas for reforming medicaid, the health insurance program that covers 72 million lower income americans. kennedy appearing stumped. >> listen, i think that there is -- are many, many options with telemedicine, with a.i. right now, and, you know, there's a -- including direct primary care systems, or seeing that movement grow across the country, there's a -- one of the largest -- >> so -- so going back to medicaid, though, and speaking of these specific advances, how would you -- what reforms are you proposing with these ideas vis a vis medicaid? >> well, i don't have a broad proposal for dismantling the program -- >> of course not saying that. >> reporter: kennedy insists he's driven by a si

mr. kennedy? i'm not sure. if i may. >> i'll give it to the chairman. mr. mr. kennedy. >> and my final question. did you say on a podcast and. >> i quote, i wouldn't. >> leave it abortion. >> to the states. my belief is we should leave it to the woman. >> we shouldn't have the government involved, even. >> if it's full term. >> did you. >> say that, mr. kennedy? >> senator, i believe that every abortion is a tragedy. >> did you say it, mr. kennedy? this matters. it doesn't. >> matter what you come here and say. that isn't true. that's not reflective of what. you really believe. >> that you haven't said over a decade after. decade after decade. >> because unlike. >> other jobs where. >> confirming around this. >> place, this is. >> a job. >> where it is life and death. that nih study that kennedy is referencing was published in july of 2020, before an effective covid treatment was available. it also made no reference to chinese people being less receptive to the virus or the virus being targeted. it did say one particular receptor for covid appeared not to be pre

mr. kennedy who has long said that he's anti-vaccine and spread a lot of misinformation about it. what democrats really wanted to hold his feet to the fire on. but he said that he was not anti-vaccine, that he was misrepresented and that led to some protesters shouting saying, you lie. they were taken out of the hearing. he said that he'd been -- they'd all been taken out of context, he wasn't able to finish what he'd been saying on these podcasts but as we saw there, a lot of the senators brought out transcripts of the interviews that he's given. it's also worth mentioning that he's built up, you know, a bit of a national following over his views on vaccines. and also many republicans like his position on it, particularly after covid-19. within the hearing itself, it was a bit confusing at times because while he said he was pro-vaccine he also said that he didn't believe in vaccinations for 6-year-olds. but that was one of the big main issues that came up in the hearing. caitriona: the other issue is around abortion. the position that r.f.k. jr. has is really in quite stark contr

mr. kennedy, aye. mr. risch, aye. senators voting in the negative -- alsobrooks, baldwin, bennet, blumenthal, heinrich, hirono, kim, markey, murray, reed, rosen, sanders, schiff, schumer, van hollen, warren, welch, and whitehouse. mr. schatz, no. the clerk: mr. murphy, no. the clerk: mr. husted, aye. the clerk: ms. duckworth, no. the clerk: mr. lujan, no. the clerk: ms. murkowski, aye. the clerk: ms. cantwell, aye. the clerk: ms. cortez masto, no. vote: the clerk: mr. sullivan, aye. the clerk: mr. hickenlooper, aye. the clerk: mr. coons, aye. the clerk: mrs. gillibrand, aye. vote: the presiding officer: the yeaers 67. the nays are 23. the motion is agreed to. the clerk will report the nomination. the clerk: department of the treasury, scott bessent of south carolina to be secretary. mr. thune: i ask unanimous consent that the senate resume legislative session and be in a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak therein for up to ten minutes each. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. thune:

mr. kennedy, you have spent years pushing conflicting stories about vaccines. you say one thing and then you say another. >> reporter: kennedy insisting -- >> i support the measles vaccine, i support the polio vaccine, i will do nothing as hhs secretary that makes it difficult or discourages people from taking -- >> anybody who believes that ought to look at the measles book you wrote, saying parents have been misled into believing that measles is a deadly disease. that's not true. >> reporter: democrats casting kennedy as a political shapeshifter, not just on vaccines, but on abortion. >> mr. kennedy, in 2023, you came to new hampshire and said, quote, i'm pro-choice. i don't think the government has any business telling people what they can or cannot do with their body. so, you said that, right? >> yes. >> yeah. so, mr. kennedy, i'm confused. you have clearly stated in the past that bodily autonomy is one of your core values. >> senator, i agree with president trump that every abortion is a tragedy. >> reporter: though republicans were largely supportive, bill

his baseless claims that vaccines can cause it is a medical condition in his throat that gives mr kennedyhis very distinctive voice. i support the polio vaccine. from taking either of those vaccines. measles is a deadly disease. that's not true. go beyond just vaccines. many republicans are worried about his staunch support and ultra—processed food. fit for office. and mice in a blender to feed to his hawks. it was often a perverse scene of despair and violence. the bbc has approached robert kennedy for comment. i'm going to let him go wild on the food. i'm going to let him go wild on medicine. i've been speaking to dennis kucinich, who served as the campaign manager for robert f kennedy jr's presidential campaign from may to october 2023. it is not whether it is my view, i would it is not whether it is my view, iwould not it is not whether it is my view, i would not have backed from view, i wedld net heve backed from the his campaign from the beginning as a told me it as a democrat if he told me it was i asked was anti—vaccination, i asked him. he is not anti—vaccine, he 5'5 f!f i? eff.

mr. kennedy. h hhs relies on evidence and impartiality, to ensure the well-being of over 330 million americans. they ensure we eat safe food, purchase reliable medications, oversee medicare benefits, and approve the use of lifesaving vaccines. mr. kennedy, however, is unprepared. his positions have shifted from month to month, moment to moment. he is neither a doctor nor a scientific nor a public health expert, nor a policy expert of any kind. when i met with him, he would not answer many questions directly, saying he would defer to the president, who also is hardly a health expert. and in fact, mr. kennedy has made a living not by promoting public health, but by actively fighting it. he's the face of the modern anti-vaccine movement, responsible for spreading fringe and outright false beliefs about vaccines. now, of course, tomorrow we'll hear a very different robert f. kennedy jr. he will pretend he's found religion on vaccines or his words have been twisted unfairly or he never intended to say

mr. kennedy. i think the president selected mr. because of the compelling message around make america healthy again. host: which we will talk about. i want to ask you do you believe he is qualified for the position? guest: i do. he was selected by the president. host: do you believe he is qualified because he was selected by the president or because of his qualifications? guest: i think both. it is a really important position. i think that mr. kennedy brings attributes and skills to that position that are going to be a good fit. host: make america healthy again. walk us through some of those key points. guest: i think it is diagnosing the state of american health. if you look at many measures of american health, one of the principal ones being life expectancy, we have been in decline. starting in 2014, for three straight years, life expectancy in the u.s. decline. and then of course, we had the pandemic and the tragedy around the pandemic. life expectancy is lower now than it was a decade ago. i think you have an increase in many ch

mr. kennedy? >> senator, i believe that every abortion is a tragedy. >> did you say it. mr. kennedy?e. >> and say. that isn't true. that's not reflective of. >> what you really believe. >> that. >> you haven't said over a decade after decade. after decade. >> because unlike other. >> jobs where confirming around this place. this is a job where. >> it is life and death. for the kids that i used. >> to work. >> for in the denver public schools and for families all over this. country that are suffering from living in the richest country of the world, that can't deliver basic health care and basic mental health care to them. it's too important for the games that you're playing. mr. kennedy, and i hope my colleagues will say to the president, i have no influence. i hope my colleagues will say to the president, out of 330 million americans, we can do better than this. >> thank you. we need to move on. senator cassidy. >> mr. kennedy. >> president trump has. sworn to. >> protect medicare. >> republicans are exploring reforms to medicaid that could help pay. >> for trump administration prior

mr. kennedy, all of these things cannot be true.en you say you are pro vaccine, or did you lie on all those podcasts? we have all of this on tape, by the way. >> senator, as you know, because it's been repeatedly debunked, that statement that i made on the lex fridman podcast was a fragment of the statement. >> you have clearly stated in the past that bodily autonomy is one of your core values. the question is, do you stand for that value or not? when was it that you decided to sell out the values you've had your whole life in order to be given power by president trump? >> senator, i agree with president trump that every abortion is a tragedy. >> regardless of what you believe, regardless of what values you have. if president trump tells you to do something, you're going to do it. >> did you say lyme disease is a highly likely militarily engineered bioweapon? >> i probably did say that. >> did you say that? >> that's what. the developer of. >> i want all of our colleagues to hear it. mr. kennedy, i want them to hear it. you said yes

mr. kennedy lied. >> is mercury not natural?ercury is a natural substance not methylmercury. >> he did say one thing. >> methylmercury which is in the fish and dangerous to human beings. >>. >> just a minute, let him answer and then you will have your chance. >> the primary cause of the natural sources of mercury. about 50 to 60% of the contribution in our country is coming from coal burning power plants. >> very quickly what you follow-up? >> if candy corn has a problem it's inbreeding. >> hears any and me an email from alan of boston massachusetts. robert, can you tell the viewers what joe kennedy is doing right now and how he's helping people during these obvious push of oil and gas prices. >> he has a company called citizens energy. to provide low-cost energy to low income families. throughout new england. >> next call for robert f kennedy junior. parkland florida, good morning. >> mr. kennedy, i wanted to elaborate on the fact that you mentioned the role of the corporate america and the media. the iranian-american and i see

mr. kennedy, all of these things cannot be true. so are you lying to congress today when you say you are pro-vaccine, or did july on all those podcasts? we have all of this on tape by the way. >> senator, as you know, because it has been repeatedly debunked, that statement i made on the podcast was a fragment of the statement. anybody who actually goes and looks at that podcast will see this. he asked me are there vaccines that are safe and effective and i said to him, some of the live virus vaccines are. i said there are no vaccines that are safe and effective. and i was going to continue for every person. every medicine has people who are sensitive to them, including vaccines. he interrupted me at that point. i have corrected it many times including on national tv. you know about this, senator wyden, so bringing this up is dishonest. >> title x is specifically an hhs area. it is an area that has been interpreted for a long time and president trump in the first administration interpreted that rule to say his administration will ref

mr. kennedy's plans could impact the health industry. san francisco mayor danielle lowery is pushing for the city to proclaim a state of emergency for the fentanyl epidemic. earlier this month, danielle lowery introduced legislation that would streamline the rollout of resources to help the drug crisis. it would also set up treatment facilities for fentanyl users in order for the proposal to work. the mayor is asking for more freedom in spending the city's budget. today, several groups who agree with the mayor's plan gathered at city hall to show their support. they say the state of emergency declaration could help save lives. every day that we don't act is another day of life lost to addiction. you know how they say, don't hate the player, hate the game? well, you know what? i'm going to hate to play it because this ain't no game no more. some members of the board of supersors have voiced their concerns about the plan. they say they have not seen a specific plan on how the money will be spent, and the proposal could weaken board oversig

mr. kennedy, for five minutes. mr. kennedy: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for five minutes and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. kennedy: mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the extraordinary life of dr. nellie b. king. a trailblazer, educator, mentor and a dear friend whose impact on western new york will resonate for generations to come. dr. king exemplified what it means to dedicate one's life of service, excellence and empowerment, particularly to the youth of western new york. but to all her fellow human beings. born and raised in foxworth, mississippi, dr. king's journey from humble beginnings to becoming an educational pioneer is a testament to her resilience and determination. she earned her b.a. in social studies from a historically black college, followed by advanced degrees in education from two other colleges. with over 35 years in education, dr. king made history as the first black superintendent of the lacawana city school district where she ser

mr. kennedy we just heard well said, peter, about his hypocrisy on pharma. and he says he is very critical of big pharma medicines, but will he show us his medicine cabinet or a hypocrite? show his receipts to see what he and his family actually buy? i don't think he will. and lastly, he said several times that he would change his mind and admit he was wrong when presented with evidence. simple question, can you please share one time, ever, that you admitted you were wrong and you changed your mind? robert kennedy, jr. is not just corrupt, he's corrosive and he must not be made head of hhs. thank you very much. >> all right, thank you, scott. [applause] >> i'm telling you everywhere go find this clip of rfk, jr. in this document documentary. no one i've seen has locked looked more uncomfortable that wasn't in court and i wish every senator would see that as well. with that i want to introduce dr. jan crummus like hummus, with doctors for america along with nurses of america and so many advocates have been in the fight with us, since the minute this nominatio

in this exchange mr kennedy said the claim that you are pro—vaccine?g this up right now is dishonest. let's be clear about what you've actually done then, in may of 2021, you petitioned the food and drug administration to not only block americans but to prevent any future access to the life saving vaccine. are you denying that your name is on the petition? have a zero risk from covid. just one of a number of feisty exchanges. just one of a number of really feisty exchanges. in washington, nomia iqbal. it's an couple of it's an coule of it's an cou - le of ., , it's an couleof ., , couple of hours. it really has. i we couple of hours. it really has. i - we expected _ couple of hours. it really has. i - we expected it - couple of hours. it really has. i - we expected it to - couple of hours. it really has. i - we expected it to be. i !eitifie e255 53555efi teee5i55e eeeee eee e e ee ee of iteiee 355 53555efi teee5i55e eeeee eee e e ee ee of all of the pics that out of all of the pics that is for his president trump is made for his cabinet arguably this is o

mr. kennedy? i'm not sure. if i may. >> i'll give. >> it. to the chairman. mr. >> mr. n a. pod cast and i quote. >> i wouldn't. >> leave it. abortion to. >> the states. >> my belief. >> is we. >> should. >> leave it to the woman. >> we shouldn't have the government involved, even if. >> it's full term. >> did you say that. >> mr. kennedy? senator, i believe that every abortion is a tragedy. >> did you say it, mr. kennedy? >> this matters. it doesn't matter what you come here and say that isn't true. that's not reflective of what you really believe that you haven't. >> said over. >> a. >> decade after decade after decade. because unlike other jobs where confirming around this place, this is a job. >> where it. >> is life and death for the kids that i used. >> to work for in the denver. >> public schools. >> and for. families all over this country that are suffering from. >> living in the richest. country in the world. >> that can't. >> deliver basic. >> health care and. >> basic mental health care to them. it's too. >> important for the games that you're playing, mr. ken

mr. kennedy doesn't seem to understand that medicaid is essential to that effort. nor did mr. kennedy say that he would support medicaid and protect it from the budget cuts that donald trump and congressional republicans have been suggesting that they will undertake. i mean, this is really serious. he doesn't understand how our health care system works. pretty hard to understand how we'll improve it when he is so unknowledgable. and the answers he gave were not only uninformed, they were word salad and hard to know whether that was intentional or not. >> well, senator maggie hassan, thanks so much for taking the time to to walk us all through it tonight. >> thank you so much. take care. >> coming up, new reporting tonight about new york mayor eric adams and why he might not even need a pardon on his federal corruption charges. >> follow the trump confirmation hearings. follow the facts. follow cnn empower. >> hey. >> i got her a little something. >> a little something, dad. >> oh, a. hi. walt. rolled his 401 k accounts into an ira, and it's grown nicely. so i say, let gramps be

mr. kennedy who is president trump's pick to the head the health and human services department will takeions from members of the senate health committee, the u.s. senate returns to session and will continue work or more of president trump's cabinet nominees including doug to be interior secretary and later chris wright to be energy secretary and on c-span 3, live at 9:30 a.m. eastern, kash patel the, president trump's pick to lead the fbi will speak to senators about his nomination before the senate judiciary committee. these events all stream live on the free c-span now video app and online at c-span.org. saturdays on c-span2. this weekend at 3:00 p.m. eastern, we will bring you the military commissioning ceremony for harriet tubman, maryland national guard, maryland governor west moore, legacy kentucky senator mitch mcconnell, deputy washington bureau chief for the associated press and author of new biography titled the price of power and at 7:00 p.m. eastern american history t begins new series looking at first one hundred days of path presidential term. this week we focus on early mo

mr. kennedy has embraced conspiracy theorist, quacks, charlatans, this is the profile of someone who chasesoney and influence wherever they lead, even if that may mean the tragic deaths of children. this is a job where it is life and death for the kid that i used to work for in the denver public schools. it's too important for the games that you're playing. >> laura: and the oscar for best actor in a political drama goes to michael bennet. now, seriously, if one had to dying the condition afflicting today's democrat party, what would it be? because their minority status and president trump's popularity it's triggered their acute political psychosis. >> mr. kennedy has questioned the scientific basis for germs causing disease and the power vaccines and anti-by the particulars. >> i have never questioned that, senator. >> i will submit that. >> you are asking me not to. >> no i am not! my question is not. >> that's exactly what you are doing. >> no. look, no one should be fooled here. >> are you supportive of these onesies? >> i'm supportive of vaccines. >> are you supportive of these -- this

mr. kennedy, who is president trump's pick to head up the health and human services department, will take questions from members of the senate health committee. the u.s. senate returns to session and will continue work on more president trump's cabinet nominees, including doug burgum, to be interior secretary. and later, chris wright to be energy secretary. and on c-span, three live at 9:30 a.m. eastern. cash battle president trump's pick to lead the fbi will speak to senators about his nomination before the senate judiciary committee. these events all streamed live on the free c-span now video app and online at c-span dot org. american history tv. saturdays on c-span two exploring the people and event

mr. kennedy returns to capitol hill to take questions senate health committee. that's live at 10:00 a.m. eastec-span3. you can also watch both hearings on c-span now, our free mobile video app, or online at c-span.org.

mr. kennedy's hearing will give us answers. also, we have to know from mr. kennedy, does he want to eliminate lifesaving vaccines that have saved the lives and health of so many millions of children in the united states and around the globe? americans also deserve to know will the fbi focus on public safety and rule of law or focus on donald trump's personal grievances? mr. patel in his hearing will give us answers. americans need to know will the trump administration protect us from foreign adversaries and deal in truth and facts when it comes to classified intelligence, if there is ever a need for a fact-based agency, it's the intelligence agencies which gather information that keep us safe. or will these agencies be turned to give shelter to conspiracy and misinformation in our intelligence? ms. gabbard's hearing will give us very important answers here. the people entrusted to oversee matters of public health, law enforcement, and classified intellige beyond reproach. their qualifications should not be in doubt. but president trump has seemed to choose th

mr. kennedy. >> i gotta tell you -- >> senator, can i reply -- >> senator, mr. nnedy, i've got questions. >> exactly when did you with decide to sell out your life's work and values to get this positionsome? >> that's not the question. you and i -- >> you're asking me -- senator, you're asking me not to the say vaccine -- >> no, i am not! >> yeah, you are. that's exactly what you're doing. >> you supportive of these onesies? >> i'm supportive of vaccines. >> are you supportive of this clothing which is militantly anti-vaccine? >> i am supportive of vaccines -- elizabeth: all right, it just got so crazy. bernie sanders talking about onesies? that's what happened at the senate confirmation hearing today for trump's hhs nominee, rfk jr. we give a warm welcome to physician and senator from senate health, senator roger marshall. senator, do you think rfk jr. gets confirm confirmed? it was a crazy day. they went after him after vaccines, he does support vaccines. >> i do think he gets confirmed, but we've got some work to do. the democrats were like a pack of coyotes t

mr. kennedy's policies with respect to vaccines. respect to food additives. mr. kennedy is not an unintelligent man. that's clear. i expect him to address all of these issues. >> harris: alexandria hoff in washington, d.c., alex. >> we saw themes of what kennedy has been preaching even recognized by the prior administration on its way out the door. for example, banning the use of red dye three in food. the fda and led in baby foods. he maintained that seed oils are harmful. one of the things he is talking about. fluoride as well. in terms of seed oils, little evidence showing issues with at-home use. some chain restaurants have switched. some ideas are catching on. there is appeal. kennedy's nomination earned the second highest level of support from registered voters behind only secretary of state marco rubio. on capitol hill senators are on both sides who want clarification from kennedy specifically on vaccines. >> i agree with him on some things and disagree on others. the food safety i think ultra processed food is a problem. vac

mr. kennedy's case they campaigned against him and said tough things about him. as mr. edy said yesterday, it's the president's administration. he will advise the president decide. same thing with ms. gashed. she was a former democratic congresswoman. i know her well. we were elected together to the house of representatives 2012. she understands it's the president's administration. she will also give her best advice but the president will make decisions. when it comes to reforming the law, it will be congress that writes the law and the president will sign the law. she will implement it. i think that there is instances where you will have a lot of democrats critical of her today because she finally saw the light and left the democratic party and came over to the republican side. >> brian: senator, is there a chance that you will postpone this today or is this going to go off? >> no. we need to move ahead with these hearings. i think the fact that we confirmed sean duffy to be secretary of transportation just hours before this horrific tragedy outside of washington, d.c.

mr. kennedy, you have spent years pushing conflicting. stories about vaccines. you say one thing and then you say another. >> i support the measles vaccine. i support the polio vaccine. i will do nothing. as hhs secretary, that makes it difficult or discourages people from taking it. anybody who. >> when pressed about his past comments favoring abortion rights, kennedy said he will implement trump's policies. if all democrats vote against him, he can only afford to lose three republican votes. >> president trump signed several more executive orders as well, including one aimed at combating anti-semitism on college campuses and in communities. meta has agreed to pay $25 million to settle a lawsuit for suspending trump from facebook and instagram following the january 6th attack, and the president is preparing to mark the nation's 250th birthday next year. he established a task force, a task force to plan that celebration. >> coming up here on world news now, the latest on the search in the icy waters of the potomac river. >> our john nance joins us live next. you