Five assumes from the first hearing of RFK JR

The election of President Donald Trump for US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy, Jr., was questioned by the senators at his first hearing to confirm on Wednesday.

The post of health secretary is a key position of the federal government that controls public health problems, including medical research, food safety and public welfare programs.

Kennedy, who was a vocal vaccine skeptic, was asked to explain his past comments about the Covid-19 vaccine and other immunizations. He was also asked about his views on abortion and opinions about the food industry in the United States.

His hearing was interrupted by the shout of protesters, but he also received strong applause when he promised to make America a healthy slogan used by the new administration.

Here are five take over from Kennedy’s first hearing.

During the hearing, the senators expressed Kennedy’s past vaccination comments.

A group he has governed for eight years, the protection of children’s health, repeatedly casts doubt on the safety and efficacy of childhood vaccinations and continues to push the debut claim that vaccines cause autism.

Kennedy insisted during the hearing that it was not an anti-vaxine and that she was simply supporting stricter studies and safety tests for injections.

He said he supported the current schedule for childhood vaccination and insisted that he was not a conspiracy theorist.

“This is pejorative that applies to me so that I do not ask me difficult questions about the powerful interests,” he told the senators.

However, they joined his previous comments, such as a quote taken from a podcast from 2023, when he said, “I think effectively. “

He defended himself in the hearing, saying that his words had been taken out of context and that he would continue to say “to all people.” But, Kennedy said, he was interrupted by host Lex Friedman, who said, “These are big words.”

In an interview with Podkast, Kennedy continued to outline what he called safety problems with several common vaccines, including the polio vaccine, and later called the vaccines “in nature dangerous,” apparently citing former President Ronald Reagan.

A key point during Kennedy’s introductory remarks and during the hearing was his criticism of processed foods in the United States, which he said helps to reach the epidemic of obesity to the country.

He promised to study chemical supplements in food and said he would work to eliminate financial conflicts of interest in US agencies and the food industry.

“We will turn the epidemic of chronic diseases and bring the nation back on the way to health,” he told the committee.

Asked why he was a great supporter of the prevention of disease -based diseases, Kennedy said that this generation had observed an “explosion” of autoimmune and allergic diseases, as well as diabetes.

Later, he explained that he did not want to take away access to processed food for Americans.

“If you like McDonald’s cheeseburger or diet coke – which my boss loves – you should be able to get them,” he said, citing Trump’s well -known fast food chain.

Kennedy, who earlier said he was about abortion rights, was asked about his position on both Republican and democratic senators.

Republican senator James Lankford asked Kennedy if he plans to restore the protection of the conscience of doctors who do not want to perform the procedure due to religious or moral beliefs.

Kenny replied, saying that forcing medical suppliers who believe that abortions were murders to commit the “no sense” procedure.

Michael Bennett, a democratic senator, then asked Kennedy about his previous comments, in which he expressed support for abortion rights and said that governments should not participate in the right of a woman to choose.

Kennedy began his answer, saying, “I believe every abortion is a tragedy.”

Later, he said he agreed with Trump that access to abortion should be controlled by individual countries. Kennedy swore to leave his liberal views, saying, “I serve the President’s pleasure. I will apply his policies.”

This position attracted control from Democrats, including Senator Maggie Hassan, who accused Kennedy of “sold out” his values ​​to choose to ensure President Trump’s nomination.

Kennedy was asked by Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a longtime defender of universal healthcare, whether he believes that the United States should “guarantee the health of all people as human rights.”

He replied by saying he couldn’t answer the question so simple.

Kennedy has created a hypothetical situation of a 20-year-old cigarette smoker with lung cancer, after which he ponders whether this individual should have the same access to healthcare as someone who does not smoke.

The smoker, Kennedy said, will be “taking from the pool”, citing overall health care costs.

Sanders then criticized the pharmaceutical industry, saying that patients in the United States pay more than people in European countries for the same drugs. He asked Kennedy if he was ready to “end this absurdity.”

Kennedy replied, “We have to end this mismatch.”

Sanders later asked him if he was maintaining baby clothes wearing anti-vaccine slogans. Some are sold by children’s health defense, the organization that Kennedy founded.

“Do you support these ones?” Sanders Kennedy asked, showing images of them to the rest of the committee.

Kennedy replied that he had no supervision of the organization and resigned from his position there.

As typical, the nature and tone of questions often differ depending on which side of the political path they come from.

Democratic senators largely quarreled him in his past comments against the vaccine, the promotion of misinformation on health and knowledge of the US health system, including Medicare and Medicaid.

However, some Republicans have focused their questions on Kennedy’s intercession for eradicating chronic diseases in children and his criticism of the US food industry.

In particular, a Republican senator, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, said that Kennedy was “the answer to his prayers” and that he was “great”.

Johnson himself was criticized for anti-vaxine misinformation during the Covid-19 pandemic.

With the completion of the proceedings, the Chairman of the Republican Senator and the Finance Committee Mike Crapo gave Kennedy his seal for approval.

“I think you went well and deserve to be confirmed,” he told Kennedy.

Democratic senator Ron Waydan, on the other hand, accused Kennedy of delivering a “salad of words” and educated problems with his previous anti-vaxine remarks.

“I find your presentation unreliable and unprepared,” Wyden said.

The hearing on Wednesday was before the Senate Financial Committee. Kennedy faces a second hearing for confirmation on Thursday before the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, where he will face more issues than senators.

Committees will then vote for its nomination before it can pass throughout the Senate for consideration.