PoliticsRobert F. Kennedy Jr. Called Out by Protester at Health Secretary Confirmation Hearing: 'You Lie!'
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was nominated to serve as Health Secretary by President Donald Trump.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s controversial past comments about vaccines were called out both by a protester and by a senator on the first day of his Health Secretary confirmation hearing.
On Wednesday, January 29, the 71-year-old vowed that he would be everything in his power to "put the health of Americans back on track."
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently launched his 'Make America Healthy Again' campaign.
"I want to make sure the committee is clear about a few things. News reports have claimed that I’m anti-vaccine or any industry. I am neither. I am pro-safety," he told the committee.
A protester cried out, "You lie!" as he spoke. After a few more seconds of of disruption, the protester was removed.
Senator Ron Wyden grilled Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on his stance on vaccines.
"I believe that vaccines play a critical role in health care. All of my kids are vaccinated. I’ve read many books on vaccines," Kennedy Jr. continued. "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.'"
Kennedy Jr.'s stance was questioned again by Senator Ron Wyden, who also suggested he has lied about his views on vaccinations.
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed he was not anti-vaccine at the confirmation hearing.
"In your testimony today, in order to prove you’re not anti-vax, you note that all your kids are vaccinated. But in a podcast in 2020, you said, and I quote, you 'would do anything, pay anything to go back in time and not vaccinate [your] kids,'" Wyden pointed out.
"Mr. Kennedy, all of these things cannot be true," he added. "So are you lying to Congress today when you say you are pro-vaccine? Or did you lie on all those podcasts? We have all of this on tape, by the way."
Kennedy Jr. claimed his comment on the podcast had been taken out of context and that he'd been interrupted before he could finish his thought.
"I said to him, 'some of the live virus vaccines are [safe].' And I said, 'there are no vaccines that are safe and effective.' And I was going to continue for every person, every medicine has people who are sensitive to them, including vaccines," he explained. "So he interrupted me at that point."
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has questioned the safety of some vaccines publicly and in his books.
Wyden also questioned Kennedy Jr. on his opinions regarding measles and polio.
"I support the measles vaccine. I support the polio vaccine," Kennedy Jr. said. "I will do nothing as HHS Secretary that makes it difficult or discourages people from taking it."
"Anybody who believes that ought to look at the measles book you wrote, saying parents have been misled into believing that measles is a deadly disease," Wyden retorted. "That’s not true!"
