WashingtonPresident-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of health and human services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., started holding meetings 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. Key incoming leaders such as Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., and soon-to-be Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, whose committee will supervise and vote on Kennedy’s proposed nomination, are among those 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 source 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.
Sen. Rick Scott, a Republican from Florida, referred to his initial conversation with him as a “great meeting” and wished him well, 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, which 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.
With 53 seats in the Senate as of January 3, Republicans can afford three defections and still have Trump’s choices confirmed. Unless some Democrats vote yes, a fourth defection would be disastrous for a candidacy. The final confirmation votes must wait until Trump is in the White House; hearings have not yet been set, although they may take place before he takes office on January 20.
Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is a pivotal 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 as he pleases. In reaction to a New York Times article claiming that a Kennedy aide had requested that the Food and Drug Administration 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 Times. Kennedy spokesperson Katie Miller told NBC Newson 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 will confront Kennedy regarding his stance 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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