Kennedy faces sharp questioning on vaccines, pledges to prioritize chronic disease if confirmed as HHS secretary

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump’s nominee for secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, faced sustained questioning from senators at a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing about his past statements on vaccines and how he would run the department if confirmed.

Committee members pressed Kennedy for unequivocal answers on whether commonly used vaccines cause autism, whether he would adhere to consensus science at HHS agencies, and how he would balance immediate infectious-disease priorities with a stated focus on preventing chronic disease. Kennedy repeatedly said he is "pro safety" and "pro good science," promised to implement President Trump’s policies if confirmed and told senators that if peer-reviewed data showed he was wrong he would apologize.

The hearing mattered because the HHS secretary oversees agencies that set vaccine policy, distribute federal health funds and run major public-health programs. Several senators warned that a lack of clear endorsements of established vaccine science at the department’s helm could weaken public trust and reduce vaccine uptake, with potentially lethal consequences for children and other vulnerable groups.

Key exchanges and commitments

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), committee chairman and a physician, repeatedly pressed Kennedy for a straight answer on whether measles and hepatitis B vaccines cause autism. Kennedy said, "If the data is there, I will absolutely do that," and added he would apologize for any prior statements that misled people. He told the panel he would not enter HHS with preordained views and said he would…