RFK Jr grilled on vaccine, Medicaid views in fiery hearing

During his contentious confirmation hearing for the position of head of the U.S. health department, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared ill-equipped when questioned about how he would reform Medicaid or Medicare. These two government healthcare programs serve millions of disabled, poor, and elderly Americans.

Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, a physician and a crucial vote Kennedy needs to win confirmation, repeatedly pressed Kennedy overnight to share his plans for reforming Medicaid. Medicaid is a taxpayer-funded, multi-billion dollar program that provides healthcare to about 80 million people, including children. Republicans have indicated they may need to drastically cut Medicaid to fund President Donald Trump's proposals.

Kennedy responded, "I don't have a broad proposal to dismantle the program." He also incorrectly stated that Medicaid is entirely funded by the federal government—it is not; it is jointly funded by state and federal taxpayers. Furthermore, he suggested that most Americans purchase Medicare Advantage plans, when in reality, only about a tenth of Americans do. These misstatements were interspersed with his suggestion to push for the privatization of these programs, repeatedly stating that most Americans prefer private insurance over government-run versions.

Kennedy is seeking to lead the $1.7 trillion (about A$2.73 trillion) Department of Health and Human Services, which would oversee vaccine recommendations, food inspections, hospital oversight, and funding for hundreds of community health clinics. During the sometimes heated exchanges that evening, Kennedy denied being an anti-vaxxer. However, he admitted to having raised “troubling questions” about vaccines. "I believe that vaccines play a critical role in health care," Kennedy stated before the Senate Finance Committee.

Republicans did not ask Kennedy about his views on vaccines during the first hour of the hearing. However, Democrats pressed the issue, with Oregon Senator Ron Wyden pointing out that Kennedy had previously claimed there were "no safe" vaccines, which triggered a back-and-forth debate between him and Kennedy. Wyden also cited Kennedy's books, which stated that parents were "misled" on the measles vaccine issue. "You have been promoting contradictory stories about vaccines for years," Wyden said.

Over the years, Kennedy has made his views on vaccines clear in dozens of interviews, podcasts, and social media posts. A non-profit organization he leads has filed lawsuits against government vaccine mandates. He has stated that "there are no safe and effective vaccines," and has repeatedly called for further research into routine childhood vaccinations, despite decades of research and real-world application proving them safe for preventing disease.

Republicans narrowed the questioning to issues regarding agriculture, food, and abortion pills, many of which women obtain via telemedicine. Kennedy tried to assure senators that he would not seek a broad ban on vaccines or food, stating he wanted to provide people with more information. "I don't want to take food away from anyone," he said. "If you like a cheeseburger—a McDonald's cheeseburger and a Diet Coke like my boss—you should be able to get them."

Kennedy, from one of America's most prominent political families, is the son of the late Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy. He initially challenged President Joe Biden for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination. He then ran as an independent, before dropping out of the race in the summer after reaching a deal with Trump in exchange for a promise of a health policy position in a second Trump term. Trump chose Kennedy shortly after winning the presidential election in November, stating that Kennedy would "end the chronic disease epidemic" and "make America great and healthy again!"

As one of the world’s most well-known anti-vaccine activists, Kennedy’s nomination immediately raised alarms among some public health officials.