"There were Republicans who offered broad support for Kennedy. Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Ida.) said, "President Trump and Secretary Kennedy have made a steadfast commitment to make America healthy again." Yet some Republicans notably did push Kennedy on how his long-standing opposition to vaccine mandates is affecting policy, and on Kennedy's doubts about the safety of various vaccines. Sen. John Barasso (R-Wyo.) said, "There are real concerns that safe, proven vaccines like measles, like hepatitis B and others, could be in jeopardy.""
"Tempers ran hot at the hearing. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) said, "This is not a podcast. It is the American people's health that is on the line here." Democrats rebuked Kennedy, perhaps the most high-profile member of President Donald Trump's cabinet. Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) asked Kennedy, "When were you lying, sir - when you told this committee that you were not anti-vax? Or when you told Americans that there's no safe and effective vaccine?" To which Kennedy replied, "Both things are true.""
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., serving as Health and Human Services Secretary, defended an administrative shift toward addressing chronic disease and away from a purely sick-care model. Kennedy's remarks at a Senate Finance Committee hearing provoked intense exchanges with senators across party lines. Democrats challenged his past statements on vaccines and questioned public-health implications, while some Republicans expressed support and others raised alarm about the potential impact on established, proven vaccines. The episode followed a government decision to restrict COVID vaccination eligibility, a move that elicited warnings from health organizations about possible confusion.
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