WashingtonPresident-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of health and human services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., started meeting with senators on Monday.
A person familiar with his intentions said he will meet with more than two dozen Republicans on Capitol Hill this week. Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and soon-to-be Senate Finance Chair Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, whose committee will review and vote on Kennedy’s proposed nominee, are among the important new leaders attending the sessions.
As he meets with Republican senators who are mainly against legal abortion, Kennedy is expected to be questioned about his lengthy history of anti-vaccine statements, his plans to reform the health care system, and his support for abortion rights.
Mr. Kennedy is incredibly ready for this week’s meetings with more than two dozen senators. The person familiar with Kennedy’s intentions told NBC News that he is enthused and eager to discuss President Trump’s goal to restore America’s health.
He had his first meeting with Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., who referred to it as a “great meeting” and wished him luck, saying, “I completely support what he wants to accomplish.”
Scott stated that he and Kennedy have a desire for vaccine openness.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., a senior member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee that will also examine his nomination, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who is up for reelection in 2026, and moderate Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, are all prominent names on Kennedy’s anticipated meeting list.
Beginning on January 3, Senate Republicans will hold 53 seats, allowing them to confirm Trump’s choices even if three members defect. Unless some Democrats vote yes, a fourth defection would be disastrous for a candidacy. Hearings are still pending but may take place before to Trump’s inauguration on January 20; final confirmation votes must wait until he is in the White House.
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is a crucial senator to keep an eye on in Kennedy’s confirmation fight. He is leaving the GOP leadership after 18 years in the top position, but he will remain a senator, removing a political barrier to voting whichever he pleases. In reaction to a New York Times article claiming that a Kennedy adviser had requested that the FDA revoke its clearance of the polio vaccine, McConnell, a polio survivor, fired a warning shot on Friday.
According to a statement from McConnell, the polio vaccine has prevented millions of deaths and offered hope for the eradication of a horrible illness. In addition to being ignorant, attempts to erode public trust in tried-and-true treatments are harmful.
He and the adviser in question had not spoken about the adviser’s efforts to withdraw approval of the polio vaccine, a Kennedy official told the New York Times. Kennedy spokesperson Katie Miller told NBC News on Friday that the polio vaccine ought to be made publicly accessible and carefully researched.
Kennedy responded to reporters’ questions on Monday by saying, “Yeah, I support the polio vaccine.”
Sen. James Lankford, a Republican from Oklahoma, stated that he would like to ask Kennedy about his views on abortion.
It goes without saying that HHS was quite explicit on abortion conscience protections and other issues during the first Trump administration. However, Lankford stated in a recent interview that [President Joe] Biden’s team undone everything. I will ask those kinds of queries.
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