Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.), who had said he was open to hearing out Robert F. Kennedy Jr., expressed more doubts about the Health and Human Services nominee after his first confirmation hearing Wednesday before the Senate Finance Committee.

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), who was thought to be open to voting for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination to head the Department of Health and Human Services, now says the nominee is in serious

Kennedy Jr. rejected characterizations of him as an anti-vaxxer in a Senate hearing Wednesday where senators will weigh his confirmation as Health and Human Services Secretary—as his former billionaire running mate threatens to fund primary challenges against lawmakers who vote against him.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he wasn’t antivaccine as senators pressed on his past remarks, in the first of two days of hearings over his nomination for health secretary.

If approved, Kennedy will control a $1.7 trillion agency that oversees food and hospital inspections, hundreds of health clinics, vaccine recommendations and health insurance for roughly half the country.

Kennedy Jr. faced a plethora of tough questions on vaccines, abortion and public health policy during his Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday as President Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Kennedy, a Democrat who ran as an independent but ended up supporting Trump in the 2024 presidential campaign, was grilled by senators over his views on vaccines, abortion, Medicaid and more during two days of confirmation hearings.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was pressed to clarify his views on vaccines, abortion, and public health priorities in his first Senate hearing.