Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Democratic Senators Urge RFK Jr. To Avoid Vaccine Decisions If Confirmed
Bloomberg: US Lawmakers Ask RFK Jr. To Stay Away From Vaccine Decisions
Democratic lawmakers in the US are asking Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to stay away from all vaccine-related decisions if confirmed as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services because his family could benefit from anti-vaccine litigation. “These conflicts, combined with your decades-long career casting doubt about the safety and efficacy of life-saving vaccines, give us grave concern about your fitness to serve as Secretary,” Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Ron Wyden of Oregon wrote in a letter to Kennedy dated Feb. 2. (Muller, 2/3)
Roll Call: Key Physician Groups Stay Silent On Kennedy Nomination
The nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services has concerned doctors and public health experts across the world who are alarmed by Kennedy’s decades-long mission to sow distrust in vaccines. But key groups representing physicians in Washington have stayed silent in the face of what their members call a threat to public health. (Hellmann, 2/3)
The New York Times: RFK Jr.’s Nomination Faces Critical Vote By Senate Finance Committee
President Trump’s choice of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be the nation’s next health secretary will face a critical test in the Senate on Tuesday, when members of the Finance Committee — including a Republican doctor uneasy about Mr. Kennedy’s views on vaccines — will vote on whether to reject the nomination or forward it to the Senate floor. The Finance Committee has 14 Republicans and 13 Democrats. If every Democrat votes against Mr. Kennedy, a no vote by Mr. Cassidy would deprive Mr. Kennedy of a favorable recommendation to the full Senate. But it would not necessarily doom his nomination; it is possible that Republicans could use procedural tactics to force the full Senate to vote. (Stolberg and Jewett, 2/4)
The Washington Post: RFK Jr. Vote Poses Key Test For Bill Cassidy, Endangered Louisiana Senator
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s bid to serve as America’s top health official could come down to a Louisiana Republican who’s openly wrestling with his training as a physician and his instincts as a politician. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), who has begged Kennedy to stop invoking the debunked link between vaccines and autism, is seen as one of several swing votes on Kennedy’s nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. (Diamond and Roubein, 2/3)
Also —
Stat: Claims Of Pharma PAC Contributions To Sanders, Warren Overblown
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump’s health secretary nominee, levied a surprising accusation last week against the lawmakers who questioned him aggressively during his confirmation hearings: That they’re bought and paid for by “Big Pharma.” (Facher and Zhang, 2/3)
Stat: RFK Jr. Is Wrong In Saying Vaccines Cause Autism. Here's The Science
Vaccines do not cause autism. You’ve almost certainly read that before — probably hundreds of times. But many people do not believe it, perhaps because too often it is repeated without a real explanation of how we know that. So here is an attempt to offer that explanation. (Herper, 2/3)
On Dr. Mehmet Oz —
Stat: Trump CMS Nominee Dr. Oz: From Top Surgeon To Major Health Role
Mehmet Oz, seated in a cushioned chair before a studio audience, directed his two guests to a giant screen behind them. It showed a ghastly scene: rubber-gloved hands holding two live rats with tumors bigger than their heads protruding from their sides and bellies. They’d been fed genetically modified food as part of a study. It’s hardly the standard backdrop for someone now poised to lead a $1.5 trillion federal agency that oversees crucial health care programs for older adults, low-income Americans, and people with disabilities. But little about this famous surgeon-turned-TV host adheres to tradition. (Bannow, 2/4)
