Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will seek to allay doubts about his confirmation this week as he begins meetings with Senate Republicans over his nomination to head the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Kennedy is one of Trump's most high-profile Cabinet appointees, including the nomination of Pete Hegseth to lead the Pentagon and the appointment of former Congressman Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii). ) is also being discussed as a dispute over the selection of the former head of the main intelligence bureau.
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida), who was President Trump's first nominee for attorney general, withdrew from consideration due to Republican dissatisfaction.
Mr. Kennedy was initially considered one of the most controversial figures, with little public criticism from Senate Republicans. Republican officials say she is in generally good health and do not believe her path to confirmation is as difficult as that of Hegseth or Gabbard.
“He's in a good position. I haven't heard any surprises about his nomination in recent weeks,” one Senate Republican aide told The Hill, adding that President Kennedy's focus is on “making America healthy again.” (MAHA), adding that he expected it to be a priority, reassuring Republican lawmakers. I still don't support abortion.
“If that's true, he'll be on track for confirmation,” the aide added.
Kennedy's planned meetings also include a meeting with Republican health staff on the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), sources said. This is a customary event that precedes a meeting with the committee's incoming chairman, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana).
Cassidy, one of three Republican senators who voted in favor of convicting Trump on the impeachment charge, has said little publicly about Kennedy in response to questions and has not said much about Kennedy in the confirmation process. He simply stated that he wanted to move forward with the project. When Kennedy was nominated, Cassidy said in a statement that he had “championed issues such as healthy food and the need for greater transparency in public health infrastructure.”
Opposition to Kennedy centers primarily on his policy stances, many of which run counter to traditional Republican orthodoxy. He has a long history of questioning vaccines and promoting the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism.
Kennedy argues that ultra-processed foods, environmental toxins, and chemical additives are to blame for the rise in chronic disease in America. He wants to ban fluoridated water and increase access to raw milk.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said he wanted to talk with President Kennedy about genetically modified foods, an important issue for farmers.
“We cannot feed nine billion people on this planet without using genetic engineering,” Grassley said.
During his presidential campaign, Kennedy said he wanted to eliminate genetically modified crops and pesticides.
Mr. Grassley, who represents the corn-rich state of Iowa, may also discuss high-fructose corn syrup, which is widely used in the U.S. food industry but criticized as a contributing factor to obesity, with Mr. Kennedy.
“We may need to spend a lot of time educating him about farming.” Mr. Grassley said of Mr. Kennedy last month:according to the New York Times.
Many Republicans also have questions about Kennedy's pro-abortion stance and how it will affect how he runs HHS.
“I want to talk about life issues,” said Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.). President Biden has been very intentional about expanding access to abortion through federal agencies; [the question is] what are their plans? What are they choosing to do with it?
“I think being able to listen is going to be important,” he added.
When Kennedy began his presidential campaign as a Democrat, he supported a ban on abortion after the first trimester of pregnancy, but quickly reversed it. He also indicated he opposes banning abortions before the fetus is viable, usually around the 24th week of pregnancy.
Kennedy said on his campaign website that he is “a staunch supporter of the principles laid out in Roe v. Wade 50 years ago” and that “the court will not overturn Dobbs v. Jackson and restore abortion rights. If so, I will support legislation that restores abortion rights.” accomplishes the same thing. ”
Republicans will have a 53-47 majority next year, giving Kennedy a bit of a cushion if he runs into Republican opposition. But it remains to be seen whether Democrats will ultimately vote to confirm him.
Despite concerns about the former presidential candidate, some of Kennedy's views on food policy and nutrition align closely with Democrats.
“Our food and nutrition connections, like the SNAP program. Some of the worst, most unhealthy foods are also the ones we consume the most,” said Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) said. “I think we have something in common. [there]. I don't want to tear everything apart and destroy it, but there is no doubt that reform is appropriate. ”
At a recent HELP Committee hearing, Sen. Bernie Sanders (R-Vt.) and others weighed in on the Food and Drug Administration's lax regulations on ultra-processed foods, a key part of President Kennedy's health agenda. , lashed out at Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf.
“For decades, Congress and the FDA have allowed large corporations to make huge profits by encouraging children and adults to consume ultra-processed foods and beverages loaded with sugar, salt, and saturated fat. “We've allowed it,” Sanders said.
But while several Senate Democrats expressed a willingness to respect the confirmation process and sit down with Kennedy, no one gave much praise.
Asked if he would like to meet with Kennedy, Mr. Hickenlooper replied, “Yes, absolutely.”
“Let me be clear: I would be happy to meet with you,” said Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
Wyden, the finance committee chairman, added that none of the other Democrats on the committee had asked him to discuss Kennedy. The Finance Committee is scheduled to hold hearings and a vote on Kennedy's confirmation next year with a new Republican majority.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said he was “very open” to a meeting with President Kennedy, but said he would be “very open” to a meeting with Kennedy next week due to more pressing issues in the Senate, such as the National Defense Authorization Act and first aid. He pointed out that there is a high possibility that this will not happen. The spending package is expected to be processed before the Christmas holidays.
“You have to dig into it to find out,” Kane said of the possible similarities between them. “So I have some concerns about some of his positions on vaccines and other things. Is it an ideological thing or is it based on science? But it's more of a general thing. is.”
Other Democrats were less philanthropic.
“He seems like a hell of a pick to me,” said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). “It was a quid pro quo, pure and simple. He wasn't chosen because he was qualified. He was chosen because Donald Trump wanted support for the president, give him whatever he wanted.” Because of that.”
