It wasn’t solely Democrats confronting President Trump’s well being secretary throughout a heated listening to within the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday.
Three Republican senators — Invoice Cassidy (La.), Thom Tillis (N.C.) and John Barrasso (Wyo.) — additionally harshly questioned Well being and Human Companies (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over his opinion on Trump’s COVID-19 response, adjustments to vaccine oversight and approval, and the upheaval on the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC).
Listed here are highlights from the sometimes-heated exchanges:
Cassidy asks if Trump ought to get Nobel Prize
Cassidy, a doctor, reluctantly supported Kennedy’s affirmation, elevating considerations about his previous feedback expressing vaccine skepticism. Throughout Thursday’s listening to, Cassidy interrogated Kennedy once more about his beliefs on vaccines, particularly about his opposition to mRNA vaccine know-how.
At first, Cassidy requested Kennedy if he believed Trump needs to be awarded a Nobel Prize for Operation Warp Pace, the undertaking launched throughout his first time period that sped up the event of the COVID-19 vaccine and therapy.
Kennedy replied that he did imagine the president deserved the award. Cassidy then questioned how the secretary might help Operation Warp Pace whereas additionally lowering entry to COVID-19 vaccines.
“As lead attorney for the Children’s Health Defense, you engaged in multiple lawsuits attempting to restrict access to the COVID vaccine,” Cassidy stated. “It surprises me that you think so highly of Operation Warp Speed when as an attorney, you attempted to restrict access to the COVID vaccine.”
Cassidy then requested Kennedy why the HHS not too long ago minimize greater than $500 million in contracts for mRNA growth and continued to grill him about his statements that members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel had conflicts of curiosity.
“It just seems inconsistent that you would agree with me,” he stated.
Tillis calls out Kennedy’s obvious contradictions
Tillis, who is just not working for reelection, questioned Kennedy about COVID-19 photographs in addition to his ousting of CDC Director Susan Monarez.
“I don’t see how you go over four weeks from a public health expert with unimpeachable scientific credentials, a long-time champion of MAHA [Make America Healthy Again] values … and four weeks later, fire her because, at least the public reports say, because she refused to fire people that work for her,” Tillis stated.
He argued that Kennedy’s actions in workplace have gone in opposition to what he stated he would do throughout his affirmation hearings.
“I do also believe that some of your statements seem to contradict what you said in the prior hearing,” Tillis stated.
Citing Kennedy’s personal phrases, Tillis requested for written solutions.
“You said you’re going to empower the scientists at HHS to do their job. I’d just like to see evidence where you’ve done that, and I’m sure that you will have some,” Tillis continued.
“You will do nothing that makes it difficult or discourages people taking vaccines. There seem to be several reports that would seem to refute that,” Tillis stated. “’I am not going to return right here and impose my perception over any of yours.’ That, once more, appears to be contradictory to the firing of a CDC director, the canceling of mRNA analysis contracts, firing advisory board members trying to stall NIH [National Institutes of Health] funding.”
Barrasso ‘deeply concerned’ about vaccines
Barrasso, the second-ranking Senate Republican, additionally praised Trump’s dealing with of the COVID-19 pandemic, calling Operation Warp Pace a “model of American ingenuity and public-private partnership.”
“Secretary Kennedy, in your confirmation hearings, you promised to uphold the highest standards for vaccines,” he stated. “Since then, I’ve grown deeply concerned. The public has seen measles outbreaks, leadership of the National Institute of Health questioning the use of mRNA vaccines, the recently confirmed director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fired. Americans don’t know who to rely on.”
“If we’re going to make America healthy again, we can’t allow public health to be undermined,” Barrasso stated.
Barrasso requested Kennedy to clarify the steps he would take to “ensure vaccine guidance is clear, evidence based and trustworthy.”
Kennedy pointed to a controversial coverage to conduct placebo-controlled research on all “new” vaccines, whereas additionally implying a hyperlink between vaccines and continual illness.
Barrasso requested Kennedy about an upcoming assembly of the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee and whether or not there was a danger that “safe, proven vaccines like measles, like hepatitis B and others, could be in jeopardy.”
Kennedy didn’t instantly reply and as a substitute doubled down on his repeated criticism of the CDC.
“Individuals have misplaced religion in CDC, and we have to restore that religion, and we will try this by telling the reality, and never via propaganda,” he stated.
