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RFK Jr. Arrives on Capitol Hill for Confirmation Hearing; HHS Nominee RFK Jr. Faces Senate Confirmation Hearing; RFK Jr. Gives Opening Statement at Confirmation Hearing. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired January 29, 2025 - 10:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


[10:00:00]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: You know, the fact that he still has a financial stake and some of his anti vaccine views that could play a role in this hearing today.

LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Pam. I mean, despite the fact that there are always these hearings that are so important on Capitol Hill, the reality is for someone like RFK, when so many senators are still on the fence about his nomination, there's a huge question about how he performs today, how he answers senators' questions, whether or not he is clear about what his views on vaccines are, whether he is clear on what his stance on abortion is currently, all of those things could really I'm going to have to wait and see if he can cement whether or not he can get through as the nominee.

Let's just break down the math right now. We saw last week that Hegseth was able to be confirmed, but just barely. Republicans can only lose three members and still get this nominee through, assuming that no Democrat votes for RFK and that's a huge question right now. It's not clear whether or not any Democrat would cross the aisle.

I'm going to be watching really closely in this hearing today, a couple of people, including Bill Cassidy. He is someone who has been really reticent to comment on RFK's nomination. He is also going to be chairing the HELP Committee tomorrow when RFK comes before that committee for another hearing on Capitol Hill tomorrow. So, that will be a really important line of questioning to really gauge where he is on this nomination and also what that means for the vote count overall.

So, I think the math is really important today. I think whether or not RFK is able to give straightforward answers on a series of issues that in the past he has held a whole stream of different views on, I think, is going to be really, really important, whether he's able to be concise and whether he's able to be convincing for some of these Republicans who are still very much on the fence.

I mean, I just thought it was so notable that earlier this week, Senator Joni Ernst said she still has clear questions that she needs answered about his stance on abortion. That obviously comes as Joni Ernst has faced a lot of harsh criticism in the past when she even expressed a minutia of concern about Pete Hegseth's nomination. Pam? BROWN: Okay, thank you so much and that is of course a big concern among Republicans. One Republican senator I spoke to recently said that he has assured some of them that he would put pro-life officials in the department.

All right let's listen in.

[RFK SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARING]

SEN. MIKE CRAPO (R-ID): I thank my colleagues and Mr. Kennedy for being here today. Mr. Kennedy, congratulations on your nomination.

Throughout this process, Mr. Kennedy, you have been accessible to members and staff on both sides of the aisle and have demonstrated strong commitment to fulfilling the responsibilities of this role.

The Department of Health and Human Services oversees our nation's largest healthcare programs, providing coverage for nearly two in every five Americans. Improving Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP, among other initiatives, presents challenges, especially in the face of a rapidly-aging population, stubbornly-high costs and persistent barriers to access. However, this also provides us an opportunity to li- -- to deliver bold, transformative solutions.

As a committee, we share a commitment to advancing commonsense, bipartisan policies that improve the delivery of healthcare in this country. This committee has worked to realign incentives in the prescription drug supply chain, to enhance access in rural communities, to expand the availability of telehealth and improve the broken clinician payment structure. Across these and other issues, I look forward to working with the administration to continue pursuing meaningful reforms that serve the American people more effectively and more efficiently.

Too often, patients encounter a healthcare system that is disjointed and is a dysfunctional maze. Complex and bureaucratic chutes and ladders have become the norm. Meanwhile, even as healthcare spending climbs, outcomes across a range of conditions continue to decline.

Mr. Kennedy, if confirmed, you will have the opportunity to chart a new and better course for the federal approach to tackling both the drivers and the consequences of our ailing healthcare system. Your commitment to combating chronic conditions that drive healthcare costs will be critical to our success. Prioritizing disease prevention and addressing the factors that fuel conditions such as diabetes, cardovas- -- cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease, Alzheimer's disease, COPD and cancer will save lives, reduce costs and build a healthier, stronger country.

Private-sector breakthroughs from groundbreaking cancer medications to curative gene therapies also offer hope.

[10:05:02]

But misguided government initiatives and market volatize- -- volatility risk eroding American leadership in lifesaving R&D. Your advocacy for healthcare transparency has the potential to empower consumers across the country, promoting competition to enhance quality while cutting excessive spending for patients and for taxpayers.

Today's hearing will provide a forum to hear more about your vision, particularly for the federal programs under this committee's jurisdiction. Mr. Kennedy, you represent a voice for an inspiring coalition of Americans who are deeply committed to improving the health and well-being of our nation. Regardless of political party, everyone in this room shares a common recognition that our current system has fallen short, as well as a common desire to make our country healthier. I look forward to today's conversation, as well as your testimony, Mr. Kennedy.

And now, I recognize Senator Wyden for his opening remarks.

WYDEN: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

The question before the Finance Committee this morning is whether Robert F. Kennedy should be trusted with the health and well-being of the American people. Committee staff have examined thousands of pages statements, books and podcast transcripts in a review of his record. The receipts show that Mr. Kennedy has embraced conspiracy theories, quacks, charlatans, especially when it comes to the safety and efficacy of vaccines. He has made it his life's work to sow doubt and discourage parents from getting their kids lifesaving vaccines.

It has been lucrative for him and put him on the verge of immense power. This is the profile of someone who chases money and influence wherever they lead, even if that may mean the tragic deaths of children and other vulnerable people.

WYDEN: Now, Mr. Kennedy is fou- -- fond of saying he's not making recommendations about whether parents should vaccinate their children; he's just asking questions and giving people choices. It's a slippery tactic to dodge any real responsibility for his words and actions. And it is in my view absurd coming from somebody who is trying to win confirmation for a job that is entirely about making recommendations. These recommendations are going to have life or death consequences for the American people.

Mr. Kennedy, if you are confirmed, your recommendations determine which vaccines senior citizens get for free through Medicare. Your recommendation will determine which vaccines are given to millions of kids. Peddling these anti-vaccine conspiracy theories as our chief health officer is going to endanger the lives of kids and seniors across the nation.

Just look at what happened when Mr. Kennedy inserted himself into an anti-vaccination crisis in the island nation of Samoa. He traveled there himself to push his views and pour fuel on the fire of a measles outbreak that began due to low vaccination rates. In the end, 83 Samoans died, mostly kids, from a disease that is easily preventable. Americans cannot afford to import this experiment to our great nation.

On other health care matters, from abortion to universal health care, Mr. Kennedy has changed his views so often it is nearly impossible to know where he stands on so many of the basic issues that impact Americans' daily lives. In a gobsmacking statement of irresponsibility, in November of 2023, Mr. Kennedy said that he wanted to pause infectious disease research for eight years.

Mr. Kennedy has indicated he is open to restricting access to the abortion medication mifepristone, which remains a primary target of the Republican crusade against reproductive freedom.

[10:10:02]

I took this on back in 1990 when I chaired the first congressional hearing on the topic. The science was clear then, it's even clearer today. Mifepristone is safe. The only reason it's under question in 2025 is because people with a political agenda have been out lying about it. Women deserve to know if Mr. Kennedy will abuse his power as our country's chief health officer to essentially implement a national abortion ban by restricting access to the safe and legal medication.

Meanwhile, as the Trump budget office threw the Medicaid program into chaos yesterday, Republicans in Congress are proposing deep cuts to the program that will rip away health care for millions of Americans who count on this vital lifeline. Cuts to Medicaid of this magnitude are going to jack up the cost of health insurance. It will shutter nursing homes and rural hospitals, deprive seniors and Americans with disabilities of home-based care. That approach amounts to handing over our nation's health assistance to for-profit insurance companies who have made a fortune delaying and denying care.

Mr. Kennedy has virtually no knowledge or experience in handling these issues. It leaves him unprepared to take on a crisis like the nation witnessed yesterday when the Trump budget office shut down the federal Medicaid payment portal.

After a careful review of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s statements, actions, and views, materials that I have reviewed personally and closely, I've reached the conclusion that he should not be entrusted with the health and well-being of the American people. When he has taken every side of every issue, how can this committee and the American people believe he has anything to say?

Let me close by saying I believe more strongly than ever, and I have specialized in health care during my time in public service, that we are at a turning point with regard to health care in America. There is one word to describe Americans' feelings toward the health care system, it's disillusioned. At every single turn, people feel like they're rolling a load of dice -- loaded dice when they try to get health care.

Americans are justifiably angry and fed up and tired of a system that puts profits over patients. Instead of debating meaningful ways to improve Americans' health care, now the committee is being forced to relitigate settled science about vaccines and whether or not the federal government should help Americans get affordable health care.

I know where Democrats on this Finance Committee stand when it comes to an agenda to lower costs and improve care. I must say I cannot say the same about the nominee sitting in front of me.

And let me acknowledge, finally, Mr. Chairman, Teri Mills from Portland, Oregon, who is here to represent Nurses for America and I would like to enter a statement from her organization into the record at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

CRAPO: Without objection. Thank you, Ranking Member Wyden.

Mr. Kennedy, in a few moments you will be given the opportunity to make your opening statement and respond to these attacks and other questions that committee -- the members of this committee have.

I would say that with regard to the attack on Medicaid that we just heard, that was a false attack. It has been proven false overnight. The Medicaid portal is operating efficiently today and was never intended to be shut down.

WYDEN: Would gentleman yield since he has mentioned my name? There was a significant amount of time yesterday where there was bedlam across the country over the status of the Medicaid portals. I hope it's being corrected, but there were problems all through the day.

CRAPO: There certainly were attacks yesterday, but the problem has been clarified, and the Medicaid portal is fully operational as we speak.

Mr. Kennedy, before I turn the time over to you to share your opening statement, I would like to give you a brief introduction.

The son of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy Jr. has been an advocate for consumers since 1985. After graduating from Harvard University, Mr. Kennedy studied at the London School of Economics and received his law degree from the University of Virginia Law School, and a master's degree in environmental law from Pace University.

He has founded two advocacy groups and has spent the last 40 years working to restore and protect children's' health. He was a former independent candidate in the 2024 presidential election.

[10:15:00]

And President Trump nominated him this year to be the -- or in November of 2024 to be the HHS secretary. In announcing his nomination, President Trump stated, "Mr. Kennedy will restore these agencies to the traditions of gold standard scientific research and beacons of transparency and end the chronic disease epidemic and make America great and healthy again."

Before you give your opening statement, Mr. Kennedy, I have four obligatory questions that we ask all nominees before this committee.

First, is there anything that you are aware of in your background that might present a conflict of interest with the duties of the office to which you have been nominated? All right.

KENNEDY: No, Mr. Chairman.

CRAPO: Thank you. Do you know of any reason, personal, or otherwise, that would in any way prevent you from fully and honorably discharging the responsibilities of the office to which you have been nominated?

KENNEDY: No, I do not.

CRAPO: Do you agree without reservation to respond to any reasonable summons to appear and testify before any duly constituted committee of Congress if you are confirmed?

KENNEDY: Yes, I do.

CRAPO: And finally, do you commit to providing a prompt response in writing to any questions addressed to you by any Senator of this committee?

KENNEDY: Yes, I do.

CRAPO: Thank you, Mr. Kennedy. And before you begin, if you would like to, you may introduce your wife and children.

KENNEDY: Yes. My wife, Cheryl Hines, is here. My daughter, Kick Kennedy. My son, Bobby Kennedy. His wife, Amaryllis Fox Kennedy. And my nephew, Jackson Hines, is here too.

CRAPO: We welcome you all. Thank you. You may proceed with your statement.

KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Chairman Crapo, Ranking Member Wyden, and members of this distinguished committee, I'm humbled to be sitting here today as President Trump's nominee, overseeing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

I want to thank President Trump for entrusting me to deliver on his promise to make America healthy again. I also want to thank Cheryl and Kick and Bobby and all of my other children who are here today and all the many members of my large extended family for the love that they have so generously shared.

Ours has always been a family that has been involved in public service and I look forward to continuing that tradition. My journey into the issue of health began with my career as an environmental attorney. Working with hunters and fishermen and mothers in a small town in the Hudson Valley and along the Hudson River.

I learned very early on that human health and environmental injuries are intertwined. The same chemicals that kill fish make people sick also.

Today, Americans' overall health is in grievous condition. Over 70 percent of adults and a third of children are overweight or obese. Diabetes is 10 times more prevalent than it was during the 1960s. Cancer among young people is rising by one or two percent a year. Autoimmune diseases, neurodevelopmental disorders, Alzheimer's, asthma, ADHD, depression, addiction, and a host of other physical and mental health conditions are all on the rise, some of them exponentially.

The United States has worse health than any other developed nation, yet, we spend more on healthcare, at least double and in some cases triple, as other countries.

Last year, we spent 4.8 trillion, not counting the indirect cost of missed work. That's almost a fifth of GDP. It's tantamount to a 20 percent tax on the entire economy. No wonder America has trouble competing with countries that pay a third of what we do for health and have better outcomes and a healthier workforce.

And I don't want to make this too much about money. It's the human tragedy that moves us to care. President Trump has promised to restore America's global strength and to restore the American dream, but he understands that we can't be a strong nation when our people are so sick.

A healthy person has a thousand dreams. A sick person has only one. Today, over half of our countrymen and women are chronically ill.

[10:20:03]

When I met with President Trump last summer, I discovered that he is more than just concerned for this tragic situation, but genuine care. President Trump is committed to restoring the American dream and 77 million Americans delivered a mandate to him to do just that.

Do in part to the embrace and elevation of the Make America Healthy Again movement. This movement led largely by MAHA moms from every state. You can see many of them behind us today and in the hallways and in the lobbies, is one of the most transcendent and powerful movements I've ever seen.

I promise President Trump that if confirmed, I will do everything in my power to put the health of Americans back on track. I've been greatly heartened to discover a deep level of care among members of this committee to both Democrats and Republicans. I came away from our conversations confident that we can put aside our divisions for the sake of a healthier America.

For a long time, the nation has been locked in a divisive healthcare debate about who pays. When healthcare costs reach 20 percent, there are no good options, only bad ones. Shifting the burden around between government and corporations and insurers and providers and families is like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

Our country will sink beneath a sea of desperation and debt if we don't change the course and ask why our healthcare costs so high in the first place.

The obvious answer is chronic disease. The CDC says ninety percent of health care spending goes toward managing chronic disease which is lower income Americans the hardest. The president's pledge is not to make some Americans happy again -- healthy again but to make all of our people healthy again. There is no single culprit in chronic disease much as I have criticized certain industries and agencies. President Trump and I understand that most of their scientists and experts genuinely care about American health. Therefore, we will bring together all stakeholders in pursuit of this unifying goal.

Before I conclude, I want to make sure the committee is clear about a few things. News reports have claimed that I am anti-vaccine or anti- industry. I am neither. I am pro-safety.

PROTESTER: (OFF-MIKE)

CRAPO: We'll have order.

Please proceed, Mr. Kennedy.

KENNEDY: I am pro-safety. I worked for years to raise awareness about the mercury and toxic chemicals in fish. And nobody called me any fish. And I believe that vaccines play a critical role in healthcare. All of my kids are vaccinated. I've written many books on vaccines. My first book in 2014, the first line of it is I am not anti-vaccine. And the last line is I am not anti-vaccine. Nor am I the enemy of food producers.

American farms are the bedrock of our culture, of our politics, of our national security. I was a 4-H kid and I spent my summer working on ranches. I went to work with our farmers. I want to work with our farmers and food producers.

Remove burdensome regulations and unleash American ingenuity. I simply cannot succeed without a partnership, a full partnership of American farmers.

In my advocacy, I've often disturbed the status quo by asking uncomfortable questions. Well, I'm not going to apologize for that. We have massive health problems in this country that we must face honestly.

And the first thing I've done every morning for the past twenty years is to get on my knees and pray to god that he would put me in a position to end the chronic disease epidemic and to help America's children. That's why I'm so grateful to President Trump the opportunity to sit before you today and seek your support and partnership in this endeavor.

I will conclude with a promise. The members of this committee, to the president, and to all the tens of millions of parents across America, especially the moms, will have propelled this issue to center stage.

[10:25:01]

Should I be so privileged as to be confirmed, we will make sure our tax dollars support healthy foods. We will scrutinize the chemical additives in our food supply. We will remove financial conflicts of interest from our agencies. We will create an honest, unbiased, gold- standard science at HHS, accountable to the president, to Congress, and to the American people.

We will reverse the chronic disease epidemic and put the nation back on the road to good health. Thank you.

CRAPO: Thank you, Mr. Kennedy.

Mr. Kennedy, I will begin. Each of us will have five minutes to ask you questions. And then at the conclusion of the hearing, if there are further questions, there will be an opportunity for those questions to be submitted to you. And I ask that you respond to them promptly.

Mr. Kennedy, you have emphasized the importance of nutrition in preventing and managing chronic disease, improving health outcomes, and reducing health costs. I share your interest in the relationship between our diet and our well-being. And if confirmed, I look forward to partnering with you on those efforts.

Would you share with the committee why you are passionate about the nutrition-oriented disease prevention and what you have learned?

KENNEDY: Yes, Mr. Chairman. I had 11 brothers and sisters. I had dozens of first cousins. I was raised in a time where we did not have a chronic disease epidemic.

When my uncle was president, two percent of American kids had chronic disease. Today, 66 percent have chronic disease. We spent zero on chronic disease during the Kennedy administration. Today, we spend $4.3 trillion a year. With 77 percent of our kids cannot qualify for military service.

When I was a kid, the typical pediatrician would see one case of diabetes in his or her lifetime, 40- or 50-year career. One out of every three kids who walks through his office or is diabetic or pre- diabetic.

And the most recent data from NIH shows 38 percent of teens are diabetic or pre-diabetic. Autism rates have gone from 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 1,500, depending on what studies you look at.

In my generation today, 70-year-old men, 1 in 34. In my kids' generation, we've seen a -- this explosion of autoimmune disease, of allergic diseases.

We are -- this is not just a economic issue. It's not just a national security issue. It -- it is a spiritual issue, and it is a moral issue. We cannot live up to our role as an exemplary nation, as a moral authority around the world when we're writing off an entire generation of kids.

CRAPO: Thank you very much. And if confirmed, how could we work together to integrate nutrition based interventions into our healthcare programs like Medicaid and Medicare?

KENNEDY: Well, there's -- there are -- there are many ways that we can do that. A (ph) federal funding of the SNAP program, for example, and (inaudible) school lunch programs could be a driver for helping kids -- we shouldn't be giving 60 percent of the kids in school, processed food that is making them sick.

We shouldn't be giving -- we shouldn't be spending 10 percent of the SNAP program on sugar drinks. (Inaudible) so we have a direct ability to change things there.

We also -- you know, in Medicaid and Medicare, we need to focus on an outcome based medicine on -- on putting people in charge of their own health care, of (ph) making them accountable for their own healthcare, so they -- they understand the relationship between eating and getting sick.

Most importantly, we need to use -- deploy NIH and FDA to doing the research to understand the relationship between these different food additives and chronic disease, so that Americans understand it and make sure that America's aware but (ph) I don't want to take food away from anybody.

If you like a cheese -- a -- a McDonald's cheeseburger or a diet coke, which my boss loves, and my (ph) -- you should be able to get them. If you want to eat Hostess Twinkies, you should be able to do that, but you should know what the impacts are on your family and on your health.

CRAPO: Thank you. Senator Wyden?

WYDEN: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Before I begin my questions, I'd like to start by entering into the record, a letter the Committee received from Ambassador Caroline Kennedy, outlining what she believes is Mr. Kennedy's lack of personal fitness for the office.

CRAPO: Without objection.

WYDEN: Mr. Kennedy, you have spent years pushing conflicting stories about vaccines.

[10:30:01]