January 2025

Watch the Event Here.

Washington, D.C. — Today, Hawaii Governor Josh Green, M.D., Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz, Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin, Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen and others joined Protect Our Care and doctors, nurses, advocates, and storytellers for a press conference ahead of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s confirmation hearings with the Senate Finance and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committees. Governor Green detailed the devastating measles outbreak in Samoa, which he saw firsthand while responding to the crisis. Speakers warned about the deadly consequences if RFK Jr. is at the helm of American health care. 

Speakers said that this nomination will touch nearly every household in the nation. For years, Kennedy has fueled disinformation and conspiracy theories about vaccinations and has pledged to stop funding research for treatments and cures to deadly diseases. His opposition to vaccines will lead to a resurgence of childhood illnesses like polio and measles. In addition, RFK Jr. doesn’t have the experience and skills to run major health care programs like Medicare and Medicaid that over 125 million Americans rely on for their health care. If confirmed, he won’t follow the science or trust the experts but instead will embrace fringe ideas that will put the lives of millions of Americans in jeopardy. 

“RFK Jr is absolutely the most dangerous nominee to run HHS in our history,” said Hawaii Governor Josh Green, M.D. “He spreads misinformation and he profits from it – unconscionable and immoral. Five years ago, there was a terrible outbreak of measles in Samoa. By the time we got there, dozens of people had already died of measles. RFK Jr. took advantage of that country – he swooped in and scared them. Measles spread like wildfire. If he becomes Health and Human Services Secretary, he will oversee the entirety of our national program to vaccinate children. He will cast doubt on the vaccination program, as he has done for years, and we will see outbreaks. He will put children in harm’s way, the way he did in Samoa, all across our country.”

“There was reporting that indicated that RFK Jr. wants to conduct the Tuskegee experiments on all of us,” said Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI). “He believes that the FDA process for determining the efficacy of medicine does not reach statistical significance and the only way to figure out whether something works or not is to administer placebos to half of the population and just see what happens. When I heard that he did that, I got a chill up and down my spine, to think it is more than 50 years later, and we are still fighting this fight.”

“The head of the HHS must believe in science to keep people healthy and believe the experts, not conspiracy theories,” said Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). “Robert F Kennedy, Jr. does not meet that very simple requirement. It’s not just that he doesn’t believe in science and trust our experts — he actively undermines them. RFK Jr. is one of the top spreaders of misinformation about vaccines, peddling bogus conspiracy theories that these safe and effective protections for Americans are somehow harmful. In fact, he said once that ‘no vaccine is safe and effective.’ Take it from me, somebody who spent months in a hospital bed as a child: I know the consequences of not protecting our kids from serious illness. I also know what it’s like to have science-backed medicine and great health care. Americans deserve a leading health official who believes in science, not conspiracies.”

“There are very few people in the United States of America who are less qualified to lead the Department of Health and Human Services than Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,” said Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT). “Not just because he is overtly hostile to vaccines. He has shown that he is just wildly open to believing any medical conspiracy theory that is put in front of him. You do not want a Secretary of HHS who is going to believe on a daily basis whatever new medical conspiracy theory is popular on the internet. That’s the last person you want in charge of this nation’s health care.”

“The Department of Health and Human Services Secretary is charged with protecting the health and safety of all Americans – a responsibility that demands qualified, science-based, and fact-driven leadership,” said Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD). “Robert F. Kennedy Jr. represents the polar opposite: his promotion of anti-vaccine conspiracy theories and lack of expertise makes him unfit to lead this critical institution. If confirmed, he would be in a position to endanger public health and the lives of Americans of all walks of life while throwing decades of life-saving medical research and advancements into chaos. What’s more, I’m deeply concerned by his threats aimed at key research institutions like NIH, and the hardworking, dedicated men and women who work tirelessly on behalf of the American people day in and day out. I will oppose his nomination and will fight to protect the integrity of our science and public health agencies – as well as the people who drive them forward.”

“RFK Jr. is going to send us back 100 years, back to days when milk was not pasteurized and there were no vaccinations and children were dying,” said Peter Lurie, President and Executive Director, Center for Science in the Public Interest. “The greatest advancements in public health are the things he wants to turn his back on.”

“Robert F Kennedy Jr. is a clear and present danger to American Public Health,” said Rob Weissman, Co-President, Public Citizen. “He shouldn’t be allowed within 500 feet of the Department of Health and Human Services, let alone be put in charge of it. He is a conspiracist and an anti-science crusader. RFK is not an opponent of Big Pharma. He is an opponent of science.”

“With my latest film Shot In The Arm, I had the opportunity to research and expose Robert Kennedy, Jr. for what he is,” said Scott Hamilton Kennedy, Academy Award-nominated filmmaker, and director of the Shot In The Arm documentary. “He is a fraud, and he’s been spreading misinformation and confusion for decades. His disregard for scientific consensus and verifiable truth is very, very dangerous. Science and democracy thrive on the free exchange of ideas, empirical evidence, and accountability – all of which Robert Kennedy Jr. undermines.”

“I am a physician and I represent 27,000 physicians,” said Dr. Jan Krommes, Doctors for America. “We oppose the confirmation of Robert Kennedy as Secretary of Health and Human Services in the strongest of possible terms. We have studied and evaluated both his statements and his actions, and we have concluded that his inability to understand scientific data, that his use of a public platform over the period of 20 years to jeopardize public health for his own enrichment is disqualifying for the position that he seeks.” 

 “I’ve had patients in the hospital for entirely preventable reasons, like not being vaccinated,” said Dr. Andrey Ostrovsky, 314 Action Public Health Advisor. “They got misinformation from charlatans like RFK Jr. RFK Jr.’s track record of spreading misinformation about vaccines is very well documented and his back should be crushed carrying that guilt.” 

“The people who would pay the price of the decisions RFK Jr. would be making isn’t RFK Jr.,” said Andrea Ducas, Vice President of Health Policy, Center for American Progress. “It’s kids. It’s scared parents. It’s American families who are just trying to do right day by day and who are having to compete with just a deluge of misinformation that’s intentionally designed to scare them so that someone can turn a profit.”

“RFK Jr. is deeply dangerous and if confirmed, more people will get sick and more people will die, including our most vulnerable populations,” said Brad Woodhouse, Executive Director, Protect Our Care. “What he did to Samoa will become a reality here in the United States. RFK Jr.’s lies should not fool anyone. He is a con man who has been paid to promote anti-vaccine theories that have no scientific basis.”

Follow Protect Our Care’s Live Fact Checking of the Hearing Here. 

As RFK Jr. lies his way through his Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing, he also proves he is completely out of touch with the American people by claiming that “Americans do not like the Affordable Care Act, they don’t like Medicaid.“ In reality, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are widely popular among the American people – and voters overwhelmingly reject Donald Trump’s plan to gut the health care families rely on to pay for another round of tax breaks for billionaires and big companies. Here’s the truth: 

KFF: Most Americans Have A Favorable Opinion Of The Affordable Care Act. As of January 2025, 64 percent of all adults have a favorable view of the Affordable Care Act. 

KFF: Majority Of Americans, Regardless Of Partisanship, Race And Ethnicity, And Income, View Medicaid Favorably. “Similarly, Medicaid, the federal-state government health insurance program for certain low-income individuals and long-term care program, is also very popular with three-fourths of adults (77%) holding favorable views, including six in ten Republicans (63%), and at least eight in ten independents (81%) and Democrats (87%). Medicaid is also popular among those enrolled in the program with 84% saying they view the program favorably.”

Navigator Research: More Than Four In Five Americans Oppose Cutting Medicaid. 81 percent of Americans oppose cutting Medicaid, including 74 percent of Republicans.

Associated Press: Most Americans Say The Government Is Not Spending Enough On Medicaid. 55 percent of Americans say the government is not spending enough on Medicaid while only 15 percent believe the government spends too much.

KFF: Nearly 85 Percent Of Medicaid Enrollees Believe Their Health Insurance Is “Excellent” Or “Good.” “The large majority (83%) of Medicaid enrollees rate the overall performance of their current health insurance as either ‘excellent’ or ‘good.’”

KFF: Majority Of Medicaid Enrollees Want The Program To Stay The Same. “Asked which comes closer to their view of what Medicaid should look like in the future, nearly nine in ten (86%) Medicaid enrollees say ‘Medicaid should largely continue as it is today, with the federal government guaranteeing coverage for low-income people, setting standards for who states cover and what benefits people get, and matching state Medicaid spending as the number of people on the program goes up or down.’ This is more than six times the share of enrollees (14%) who say ‘Medicaid should be changed so that instead of matching state Medicaid spending and setting certain requirements for health coverage, the federal government limits how much it gives states to help pay for Medicaid and states have greater flexibility to decide which groups of people to cover without federal guarantees.’”

KFF: More Than Two-Thirds Of The Public Say Medicaid Is Working Well, Including The Majority Of Republicans. “Most Americans say the current Medicaid program is working well for most low-income people covered by the program. More than two-thirds of the public overall (69%) say the program is working well, as do large majorities of independents (63%), Republicans (69%), and Democrats (76%).”

KFF: Three In Four Americans With Affordable Care Act Marketplace Coverage Rate Their Coverage As “Excellent”, “Very Good”, Or “Good.” A record number of Americans, 24.2 million enrolled in health coverage through the ACA Marketplace this year. 

Follow Protect Our Care’s Live Fact Checking of the Hearing Here

During his Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. blatantly lied about his deadly trip to the island nation of Samoa in 2018 and 2019, where he spearheaded a campaign against the measles vaccine amid a deadly outbreak. He visited the island to spread anti-vaccination conspiracy theories – which led to the deaths of 83 people, primarily infants and children. To this day, Kennedy refuses to take responsibility and continues to oppose lifesaving vaccines. Read Protect Our Care’s report here: Misinformation Kills: RFK Jr’s Deadly Visit To Samoa.

THE TIMELINE

2018

• Two children in Samoa died after receiving their MMR vaccine as a result of nurses improperly mixing the vaccines with a liquid muscle relaxant instead of water. The nurses were sentenced to five years in prison for manslaughter.
• RFK Jr’s Children’s Health Defense posted on Facebook questioning the safety of all measles vaccines, but never informed the public about the true cause of the deaths.
• The World Health Organization estimated that in 2018, only 31 percent of infants in Samoa received the measles vaccine, a drop from 60 to 70 percent in previous years.
• RFK Jr’s Children’s Health Defense. 

2019

• While vaccination rates were dropping, Kennedy traveled to Samoa in June 2019, meeting with the Prime Minister and other government officials. The trip had been arranged by a prominent Samoan anti-vaccine activist, and paid for by Children’s Health Defense. RFK Jr. appeared with government officials and local anti-vaccine activists.
• A measles outbreak in Samoa began in September 2019.
• A state of emergency was declared in November 2019, closing all schools, keeping children under 17 away from public events, and mandating vaccines.
• The anti-vaccine activists with ties to Kennedy used misinformation and harsh rhetoric to oppose the government’s efforts in containing the outbreak.
• In November 2019, Children’s Health Defense shared a four-page letter offering “assistance” that Kennedy wrote to the Samoan Prime Minister, in which he encouraged officials to examine the MMR vaccine itself as a possible cause.
• In December 2019, volunteers in Rotura, New Zealand prepared dozens of child-sized caskets to send to Samoa to help deal with the loss of so many infants and toddlers. 
• A compulsory mass vaccination campaign brought rates back up to 95 percent and the government introduced a new law in December 2019 requiring all children to be fully immunised before starting primary school. The door-to-door vaccination campaign is credited with bringing the months-long tragedy to a close. 

2020

• By January 22, 2020, 5,707 measles cases and 83 measles-related deaths were reported. 87 percent of the reported deaths were children younger than 5 years.

Read Protect Our Care’s Report on RFK Jr.’s Anti-Vaccine Conspiracy Theories Here

Follow Protect Our Care’s Live Fact Checking of the Hearing Here

In his opening statement at his Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. blatantly lied about his anti-vaccine record. For years, Kennedy has fueled disinformation and conspiracy theories about vaccinations that have had deadly consequences. He has been a leading anti-vaccine voice for decades, spreading false information about vaccines and autism that led to a full-blown measles outbreak in Samoa that killed 83 people, primarily infants and children. But we have the receipts: 

• “There’s no vaccine that is safe and effective.” [Lex Fridman Podcast #388, ‘Robert F. Kennedy Jr: CIA, Power, Corruption, War, Freedom, and Meaning’, 7/6/23, VIDEO] 
• “Our job is to resist and to talk about it to everybody…I see somebody on a hiking trail carrying a little baby and I say to him, ‘Better not get him vaccinated.’ And he heard that from me. If he hears it from 10 other people, maybe he won’t do it…” [The Way Forward with Alec Zeck, ‘HFfH: The State of Health Freedom with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’, 9/3/21, AUDIO] 
• “I do believe that autism comes from vaccines.” [Fox News, ‘Jesse Watters Primetime’, 7/10/23, VIDEO]
• “They’re trying to get at your baby. And force him to take their vaccines. And give him a lifetime dependency.” [Speech, Texans for Vaccine Choice Rally in Austin, Texas, 5/4/19]
• “They get the shot, that night they have a fever of a hundred and three, they go to sleep, and three months later their brain is gone. This is a holocaust, what this is doing to our country.” [Speech, ‘Trace Amounts’ Screening in Sacramento, California, 4/7/15]
• “The COVID shots are a crime against humanity.” [Robert F. Kennedy Jr., X, 12/12/22]
• “The digitalized economy? We get rid of cash and coins. We give you a chip. We put all your money in your chip. If you refuse a vaccine, we turn off the chip and you starve!” [RFK Jr., Instagram via Forbes, 8/15/20]
• “COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese.” [The New York Post, 7/23/23]
• “[5G] causes cancer. It causes DNA dysfunction. It penetrates the blood-brain barrier. It’s making our children stupider and sicker.” [The Globe and Mail (Canada), 11/11/20] 
• “I do not believe that infectious disease is an enormous threat to human health.” [The Joe Rogan Experience, ‘#1999 – Robert Kennedy, Jr.’ 6/15/23, AUDIO] 
• “We’re going to give drug development and infectious disease a break. A little break, a little bit of a break for about eight years.” [TikTok Town Hall, 6/20/24, VIDEO]

 ***MEDIA ADVISORY FOR WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29 AT 9 AM ET***

Protect Our Care Hosts Day of Action to Sound the Alarm on Disastrous RFK Jr. Nomination 

Washington, D.C. — Today, Wednesday, January 29, 2025, at 9 AM ET, Hawaii Governor Josh Green, M.D., Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz, Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin, Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen, and others will join Protect Our Care and doctors, nurses, advocates, and storytellers for a press conference ahead of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s confirmation hearings. The event will kick off Protect Our Care’s day of action on Capitol Hill, featuring visuals, signage, props, and representations of the people who died during the deadly measles outbreak in Samoa to underscore the devastation of RFK Jr.’s deadly and dangerous anti-vaccine conspiracy theories.

During today’s event, Governor Green will detail the devastating measles outbreak in Samoa, which he saw firsthand while responding to the crisis and experts, advocates, and storytellers will warn about the deadly consequences if RFK Jr. is at the helm of American health care. Speakers will make clear that this nomination will touch nearly every household in the nation. 

PRESS EVENT:

WHO:
Hawaii Governor Josh Green, M.D.
Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI)
Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT)
Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
Peter Lurie, President and Executive Director, Center for Science in the Public Interest
Rob Weissman, Co-President, Public Citizen
Scott Hamilton Kennedy, Academy Award-nominated filmmaker, and director of the Shot In The Arm documentary
Dr. Jan Krommes, Doctors for America
Dr. Andrey Ostrovsky, 314 Action Public Health Advisor
Protect Our Care
Doctors, Nurses, Advocates

WHAT: Press Conference & Visibility Display

WHERE: Section 8 of the Senate Swamp (corner of 1st St. NE & Constitution Ave. NE)

WHEN:
Press Conference: Wednesday, January 29, 2025, at 9 AM ET
Visibility Display: Wednesday, January 29, 2025 at 9 AM ET to 3 PM ET

BACKGROUND

REPORT: RFK Jr. Is An Anti-Vaccine Extremist
REPORT: Misinformation Kills: RFK Jr’s Deadly Visit To Samoa

Scathing Editorials from the New York Post, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal, Damning Letter from Caroline Kennedy and Washington Post Anti-Vaccine Expose Leave RFK Jr.’s Nomination in Peril

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation hearings begin tomorrow, and his nomination is on the verge of collapse. The New York Post slammed RFK Jr.’s nomination in a scathing editorial yesterday, describing Kennedy as an “unserious, dangerous official” who is “completely incoherent about our nation’s health.” That piece came one day after the Wall Street Journal editorial board denounced RFK Jr., in particular sounding the alarm on his anti-vaccine conspiracy theories. And today, Caroline Kennedy sent a letter to lawmakers warning senators about RFK Jr. and the risk that his nomination poses to the health and well-being of the American people. It’s been a brutal past few days for RFK Jr., and it’s only going to get worse when his extreme and dangerous record is on display for the whole country to see at his confirmation hearings starting tomorrow.

HEADLINES

The Washington Post: Caroline Kennedy Warns Senators of ‘Predator’ RFK Jr. in Searing Letter. “In a copy of a letter obtained by The Washington Post and sent to lawmakers ahead of Kennedy’s confirmation hearings to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, the former ambassador to Australia alleges that her cousin, ‘addicted to attention and power,’ has given hypocritical advice by discouraging parents from vaccinating their children while vaccinating his own children. She alleged that his ‘crusade against vaccination’ has also served to enrich him.” [The Washington Post, 1/28/25]

The Washington Post: RFK Jr. Disparaged Vaccines Dozens of Times in Recent Years and Misled on Race. “In at least 36 appearances, Kennedy linked autism to vaccines, despite overwhelming scientific evidence supporting the use of vaccination to protect people from deadly infectious diseases and refuting any ties to autism… Race also threads through many of Kennedy’s comments unearthed by The Post, with several misleading claims about Black Americans, including false claims about Black children’s autism rates after vaccination and comments on their immune systems.” [The Washington Post, 1/28/25]

New York Post: Editorial: Senators, Vote ‘No’ on RFK Jr. — Who’s Still a ‘Radical Left Lunatic’ Hazardous to Our Health. “On Thursday, Senate hearings begin on RFK Jr.’s nomination as secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services. But nothing has changed about Kennedy from last spring. He’s still a radical left lunatic who is anti-energy, a “big time” taxer and completely incoherent about our nation’s health. No Republican can vote for this guy. No senator should. The president and his team insist that RFK Jr. has been fitted with a policy straitjacket — that certain areas such as vaccines and objecting to energy strategy are off-limits. But in truth, the only straitjacket suitable for RFK Jr. is a real one.” [New York Post, 1/27/25]

New York Post: Editorial: RFK Jr. is a Menace to Health and Common Sense — Shame on Republicans Who Support Him. “The US Senate has the constitutional duty to vet the president’s nominees and ensure that no unfit authoritarians find their way into the White House. Which brings me to the appointment of brainworm-ridden dilettante Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as head of the Department of Health and Human Services. There has perhaps never been a Republican Cabinet nominee in history less suited for public office. RFK’s experience (zero), his temperament (unhinged) and his ideas (extremist) impel the Senate to keep him out of the new presidential administration.” [New York Post, 1/28/25]

The Wall Street Journal: Editorial: Why RFK Jr. Is Dangerous to Public Health. “President Trump nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services secretary in return for his presidential endorsement. But Senate Republicans have an obligation to scrutinize his giant closet of business conflicts and dubious ideas… Most troubling is his long record of anti-vaccine advocacy.” [The Wall Street Journal, 1/26/25]

The Washington Post: Editorial: More Reason to Oppose RFK Jr.’s Nomination. “Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is not qualified to be health and human services secretary for many reasons, chief among them being his years-long unscientific campaign against essential vaccines. Last week, he added a new one: His refusal to rectify a blatant conflict of interest… In other words, Kennedy would remain party to a lawsuit against a major drug manufacturer that, as HHS secretary, he would be regulating. The nominee appears not to see any problem with this.” [The Washington Post, 1/28/25]

Boston Globe: Editorial: From Polio to COVID: Why Kennedy is Unfit for HHS. “As the Senate undertakes its examination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be the next secretary of Health and Human Services, two events flood my mind. Both concern why approving his nomination would put Americans’ health at grave risk… Kennedy was far worse than Trump in the early months of COVID. He sued to stop the distribution of the COVID vaccine, promulgated disinformation about bogus cures, and used the pandemic to sow doubt about the life-saving vaccines… Kennedy, with his decades of antivaccine activities, seems indifferent and has questioned whether the polio vaccine resulted in a decline in cases. But the spirits of the many thousands of American children who died before the vaccine appeared and the others, post-polio, including me — stuck with leg braces, crutches, walkers or wheelchairs — know full well that allowing Kennedy to assume office would enable killer diseases to recur.” [Boston Globe, 1/27/25]

The Hill: Fewer Than Half in New Poll Trust Trump, RFK Jr. to Make Right Recommendations on Health Issues. “The latest KFF survey, published Tuesday, finds 42 percent of respondents say they have either a great deal or fair amount of trust in Trump to make the right recommendations when it comes to health issues. A similar 43 percent say the same about Dr. Mehmet Oz, Trump’s pick to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Another 43 percent said the same about Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom Trump tapped to head the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).” [The Hill, 1/28/25]

Media Matters For America: Ben Shapiro Says Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “Expressed Support for Policies That I Think Are Really Troubling.” “I like RFK Jr. a lot personally. I’ve had him on the show. He has expressed support for policies that I think are really troubling…  He indicated that he would consider authorizing the government to seize the patents of high-priced medicines for manufacturers and sharing them with other drug makers as a way to force down costs…that is going to generate some pretty significant pushback from Republicans, you imagine.” [Media Matters For America, 1/28/25]

Politico: Murdoch Empire Comes Out Against RFK Jr. “Editorial boards at two publications owned by the Murdoch family denounced Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination as secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services… the opposition signals a notable pushback against President Donald Trump from a global media empire that has helped mold modern American politics and Trump’s political rise.” [Politico, 1/28/25]

CNN: Key GOP Senators Want Public Commitments from RFK Jr. on Abortion and Vaccines During Confirmation Hearings. “Some GOP senators want public commitments from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. before deciding whether to support him as the next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, signaling that President Donald Trump’s pick will have to win over uncertain Republicans in order to secure the job. Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, who is anti-abortion rights, told CNN that Kennedy needs to do more to assuage her concerns given his past comments supporting access to the procedure. ‘He will need to publicly state his position on abortion because I’m obviously very life focused. That’s one of the biggest concerns,’ Ernst told CNN. Republican senators and anti-abortion advocates have already sounded the alarm on Kennedy’s stance on this issue, his previous Democratic bid for president and his past support for abortion access until fetal viability, which Trump’s team has seen as a key vulnerability.” [CNN, 1/27/25]

Axios: Undecided Senators Lay Out Expectations for RFK. “Senators who haven’t committed on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination for HHS secretary say he’ll have to lay out a cogent public health vision in twin confirmation hearings that start Wednesday. Why it matters: Kennedy has alarmed public health experts with his years of vaccine criticism. The hearings in the Finance and HELP committees will show which senators still are concerned and which are giving more credence to his recent efforts to soften his views. What they’re saying: ‘He’s got to have a good hearing, address some of the concerns we all know, like vaccines, couple other things like that,’ Sen. Thom Tillis, who sits on Finance, told reporters Monday. ‘And he has the distinction of having to go through two committees, so we’ll see how he does on Wednesday and Thursday,’ he added.” [Axios, 1/28/25]

Financial Times: Robert Kennedy Allies Fear He is Losing US Senate Support. “Robert F Kennedy Jr’s allies fear that he has failed to convince enough senators to confirm him as Donald Trump’s top health official, according to people familiar with the matter. Kennedy, known as RFK Jr, was holding last-minute meetings with Democrats and Republicans ahead of two days of questioning by the Senate’s finance and health committees later this week, three people said. He has met more than 60 senators since his nomination. ‘There’s more anxiety now than ever,’ said a person close to Kennedy. ‘This is a big week: if the vote were today it would be iffy. We really need to solidify momentum this week to overcome all the negativity there’s been.’ Opposition to Kennedy’s nomination has emerged from influential conservative voices, including The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board and Americans Advancing Freedom, a group co-founded by former vice-president Mike Pence that has expressed concern about the former Democrat’s support for abortion rights.” [Financial Times, 1/27/25]

ABC: RFK Jr. Says He’s Not Anti-Vaccine. But He Could Profit Off Claim in Vaccine Lawsuit. “In 2020, as a pandemic raged across the globe, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took to social media to appeal to his hundreds of thousands of followers on Facebook… he was looking for parents whose children had been vaccinated against a different virus — human papillomavirus or HPV — and later grew sick. Public health researchers and doctors said there was no evidence that the vaccine, Gardasil, was linked to the health problems he cited, noting 160 favorable studies on safety. A federal court created to compensate people injured by vaccines also had already rejected a similar claim, citing ‘insufficient proof’ that the vaccine was behind the plaintiff’s health issues. But in his posts, Kennedy said that he and lawyer Michael Baum… believed there was still a path forward. The families could sue the manufacturer Merck in civil court claiming marketing fraud – allegations Merck denies… According to financial disclosure documents released last week, Kennedy’s primary source of income in the past year were large sums of referral fees from multiple law firms, including Baum’s office, whose civil lawsuit against Merck’s Gardasil vaccine went to trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court last week. Kennedy’s leading role in building a case against Merck is now raising questions about how he might wield his power as the nation’s next health secretary – a job intended as an impartial overseer in public health – while in line for potential payouts from a major pharmaceutical company.” [ABC, 1/27/25]

Stat: RFK Jr.’s Step-By-Step Blueprint to Question the Safety of Vaccines. “Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has insisted he doesn’t want to take away vaccines  —  he just wants to make sure they’re safe.  But he has already sketched out a blueprint that could subject recommended vaccines to renewed scrutiny, redirect research, strip legal protections for vaccine makers, and change how vaccines are advertised. His step-by-step plan provides a window into how RFK Jr. could use the levers of power as the top U.S. health official to sow doubt about vaccines at a time when rates of childhood immunizations are already slipping.” [Stat, 1/28/25]

Politico: RFK Jr. Says He’s Open to Seizing Drug Patents. “Robert F. Kennedy Jr. expressed openness to adopting a key progressive proposal for lowering drug prices during a closed-door meeting with Senate Finance Committee staffers, according to three people familiar with the exchange, who were granted anonymity to speak freely about private discussions. President Donald Trump’s health secretary nominee last week indicated he’d consider authorizing the government to seize the patents of high-priced medicines from manufacturers and share them with other drug makers as a way to force down costs, said the three people… Advocates for the policy say it would allow new levels of competition for some of the most expensive prescription drugs, which are now protected by patents. Kennedy’s comments, which come before his confirmation hearings on the Hill this week, may deepen suspicions among conservatives already wary of his past as a Democrat.” [Politico, 1/27/25]

Associated Press: Anti-Vaccine Bills Pop Up Across the US Ahead of RFK Jr’s Confirmation Hearing. “Bills challenging vaccine mandates have popped up in more than 15 states, with skeptic lawmakers emboldened by President Donald Trump’s return to the White House and RFK Jr.’s nomination as health secretary. Lawmakers aim to potentially resurrect or create new religious exemptions from immunization mandates, establish state-level vaccine injury databases or dictate what providers must tell patients about the shots. RFK Jr., a known vaccine-sceptic, faces his confirmation hearing on Wednesday. Senators have already spoken to him, highlighting the importance of vaccination, and, shortly after the election, he promised not to ‘take away’ anybody’s vaccines, according to NBC. However, experts worry he could have a significant impact on childhood immunization policies, at a time when the vaccination rates against dangerous childhood infections like measles and polio continue to fall nationwide. The number of parents claiming non-medical exemptions so their kids don’t get required shots is rising.” [Associated Press, 1/28/25]