Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s two-day Senate confirmation hearing should remove all doubt: He’s absolutely unfit to head the Department of Health and Human Services.
His testimony did nothing to change anyone’s minds about that.
Take his refusal to deny a link between vaccines and autism — despite mountains of scientific evidence refuting any such connections.
“Will you reassure mothers — unequivocally and without qualification — that the measles and Hepatitis B vaccines do not cause autism?” the would-be HHS boss was asked.
“If you show me data, I will be the first person to assure the American people that they need to take those vaccines,” he responded.
Uh, has he heard of Google?
“The evidence is there,” pressed Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who happened to be on the right side for a change. “Vaccines do not cause autism. Do you agree with that?”
RFK refused to budge: “I’m not going to go into HHS with any preordained …” the nominee responded, before being cut off by his flabbergasted questioner.
Ditto when Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican and physician, actually presented solid evidence that childhood vaccines don’t cause autism: Even then, Kennedy defended his years of skepticism, saying he wasn’t wrong to cite links between immunizations and rising childhood rates of autism.
Likewise, he continued to ignore the science showing COVID-19 vaccines saved millions of lives.
Look, it’s never wrong to ask questions, even about “settled” science.
But Kennedy has spent a near-lifetime promoting a dangerous, outright lie about vaccines, even in the face of hard proof that they work.
That might’ve dissuaded many people from getting them and then later contracting illnesses they could’ve prevented.
Oh, and by coincidence, his anti-Big Pharma claims just so happen to supply ammunition for fellow lawyers suing those companies.
Kennedy’s bizarre beliefs go even further: He’s bought into conspiracy theories that the generally acknowledged story of 9/11 isn’t to be believed. He’s stood by claims that “electromagnetic radiation” from Wi-Fi “changes DNA” and is linked to cancer.
Most of all, Kennedy lacks basic skills to run a large federal agency, particularly one where “following the science” is actually vital.
True, he does support some worthwhile lifestyle changes that can make folks healthier — like better diets and exercise.
But there’s too much wackiness in his background to trust America’s health to such a figure.
Senators need to block RFK Jr.’s nomination — and keep America healthy again.
