The confirmation hearings for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) made him likely the most scrutinized nominee for a cabinet position in the past 50 years. Senators grilled Kennedy in two 3.5 hour-long sessions with quotes from his six books, podcasts, interviews, campaign emails, blog posts, and social media. Democrat Senators utilized a format of a 5-minute rant with pejoratives (anti-vaccine, anti-science, conspiracy theorist) and accusations (alleging Kennedy caused a measles outbreak in Somoa), and demanded that Kennedy answer with a simple yes or no response. When Kennedy was allowed to speak, he demonstrated poise, intellect, and compassion for the health crisis facing Americans. Kennedy promised the Senators “radical transparency” in U.S. health agencies, while Americans from all political parties were overwhelming the U.S. Capitol switchboards urging Senators to vote to confirm his nomination and 1,000 supportive people showing up in person both days. For people who were listening, they heard alarming aspects about public health in the U.S. from Kennedy, and they witnessed disturbing tangents from the Democrat Senators, who aimed to protect the status quo of a sick nation. This article will address some of these topics from the hearings.
Kennedy’s opening remarks included an alarming wake up call to the epidemic of chronic disease in the U.S. 70% of U.S. adults are obese. 30% of children are overweight or obese. Diabetes is 10 times more prevalent now than it was in the 1960s. Cancer in young people is rising by 1-2% a year. Autoimmune issues, neurodevelopmental disorders, Alzheimer’s, and a long list of mental health issues are on the rise exponentially. The U.S. has the worst health outcomes of all other developed nations and yet spends the most money on healthcare of other developed nations. In 2024, the U.S. spent $4.8 trillion on healthcare, which is one-fifth of the GDP. This is a 20% tax on the entire economy. The CDC reports that the U.S. spends 90% of healthcare costs on chronic disease.
Kennedy asserted that “We cannot be a strong nation when our people are so sick.” He went on to say that 77% of our young people do not qualify for military service due to chronic disease. 67% of our children have autism, neurodevelopmental disorders, allergies, and diabetes. Kennedy declared this chronic disease epidemic as not only an economic issue and national security issue, but also a moral issue and a spiritual issue. He added that he prays every day for God to put him in a position to end the chronic disease epidemic and to help America’s children.
Kennedy listed three key objectives: eliminate chemical additives in food, remove conflicts of interest in health advisors, and restore the gold standard of scientific research. His background in environmental law has influenced him to see that human health and environmental toxins are intertwined. And yet for many people listening to these hearings, this might be the first time they heard Congress discuss the role of toxins in health. Microplastics, pesticides, PFAS and fluoride in drinking water, and food dyes are established toxins to humans. Kennedy agreed with the position that infectious disease is getting most of the federal funding, while chronic disease, which kills 92% of Americans, is getting ignored. As HHS Secretary, Kennedy would have oversight of CDC, FDA, and the NIH. Only $1.2 billion of the $42 billion budget at NIH is studying the root cause of the obesity epidemic. Since these hearings, Congressional hearings have revealed very bizarre and misguided research at NIH such as injecting animals with aborted fetal tissue, studies on whether transgender animals can survive drug overdoses, and studies on whether obese animals can survive wildfire smoke.
To his critics, Kennedy declared he is not anti-vaccine, but pro-safety. He assured the committees that he is not the enemy of food producers but rather sees farmers as essential partners in addressing nutrition as disease prevention. The U.S. currently uses chemicals and GMO seeds in agriculture which are banned from being exported to other countries, and Kennedy mentioned farmers being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease from use of these chemicals.
A few Democrats voiced their reasonable concerns regarding cuts or reform in Medicare and Medicaid and a few others mentioned needed reform in drug pricing (Pharmacy Benefit Managers or PBMs). Kennedy recommended that Medicaid and Medicare become value-based systems, with financial rewards based on positive health outcomes, rather than fee-based systems.
However, it became a clear priority that all Democrats wanted to protect the abortion pill, namely Mifepristone. Democrats demanded that Kennedy not bias research to include adverse reactions to the abortion pill nor ban the abortion pill. Republicans raised concerns that the abortion pill by mail order is poised to bypass state abortion laws. Kennedy commented several times that every abortion is a tragedy, and that aborted fetal cells are not needed in medical research. Kennedy also explained that it is not reasonable, for the provider or the patient, to expect providers to perform procedures (abortions and gender affirming care) to which they are morally opposed.
Anyone watching these hearings witnessed the Democrats ignore the chronic disease epidemic, and instead vehemently defend the abortion pill as the highest priority for Health and Human Services. A second priority to Democrats is Community Health Centers which serve low income and uninsured individuals with “preventative services.”
The most aggressive attacks on Kennedy came from Senators who have over $1M in donations from pharmaceutical companies. While the first hearing used incessant personal attacks on Kennedy, the second hearing had a clear goal to convince the public that vaccines do not cause autism.
Regarding autism, the public witnessed that there is preferred science and there is ignored science. Senator Bill Cassidy, MD, referenced a study with 1.2 million children which concluded that vaccines do not cause autism, but the study only examined one vaccine (MMR) and one ingredient (thimerosal). Kennedy referenced the Mawson (2025) study that found a strong correlation between autism spectrum disorders and vaccinated children on the current 72 dose schedule when compared to unvaccinated children in the Florida Medicaid program. Both Cassidy and Kennedy alluded to methodological flaws in the other’s studies.
Kennedy agreed to support informed consent and good safety science in the vaccine program. Informed consent requires that consumers are told both the benefits and risks of the drug.
Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) made an eloquent speech about how “We believe in Submission, not Science.” He mentioned that giving the Hep B vaccine, a disease for drug users and prostitutes, to newborns is not based on science. He declared that giving the COVID vaccine to healthy children who are not at risk is not based on science. He declared that we do not know what causes autism, but the current immunization schedule includes 72 doses of vaccines.
Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) also passionately endorsed questioning science because sometimes the scientific consensus regarding safety is wrong, citing Thalidomide which caused deformities. He seeks to understand how autism increased from 1 in 10,000 in the 1980s to 1 in 36 children today.
Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) mentioned concerns about the high percentage of young people on SSRI drugs, with data that anti-depressant prescriptions rose 64% since the pandemic in 2020. He also mentioned that in regard to the 72-dose vaccine schedule and his granddaughter, “She’s not gonna be a pincushion.”
Children’s Health Defense reported, “After the hearings, Trump called for more research into the link between vaccines and autism, in a post on Truth Social. ‘20 years ago, Autism in children was 1 in 10,000. NOW IT’S 1 in 34. WOW! Something is really wrong. We need BOBBY!!! Thank You!’ Trump wrote.”
Conclusion
The COVID pandemic opened many people’s eyes, regardless of political party affiliation, to the corruption in our health agencies, which are captured by pharmaceutical and chemical companies. This awareness has catapulted support by “MAHA” moms for Kennedy to “Make America Healthy Again” and to lead HHS, with the largest federal government agency budget and with control over the FDA, CDC, and NIH. During COVID, the U.S. had the worst death count among all other countries, with the average American who died with COVID having 3.8 chronic diseases. This showed that chronic disease increases mortality from infectious disease, and yet federal funding disproportionately focuses on infectious disease. Kennedy will serve in the Trump administration with decades of experience in environmental health litigation to focus on chronic disease, and the underlying environmental toxins which cause epidemics.
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