Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
RFK Jr.'s Confirmation As Health Secretary Remains Too Close To Call
Modern Healthcare: After Hearings, RFK Jr. Hasn't Swayed 3 Key Republicans
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s chances of confirmation as Health and Human Services secretary appeared to hinge Thursday on convincing a handful of Senate Republicans that he would adhere to accepted science when it comes to vaccines. During a hearing before the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Kennedy faced tough questioning from Democrats and a few Republicans about his long history advocating against vaccinations and disseminating misinformation about the disproved link between vaccines and autism. In contrast, several Republicans expressed support for Kennedy's stance on vaccines. (McAuliff, 1/30)
Stat: At Confirmation Hearing, RFK Jr. Refuses To Say That Vaccines Don’t Cause Autism
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. refused to confirm to senators that he believes vaccines do not cause autism during his confirmation hearing Thursday, appearing to jeopardize support in his effort to become health secretary with at least one key Republican, Sen. Bill Cassidy. (Zhang and Herper, 1/30)
AP: When RFK Jr. Was Presented With The Science On Vaccines He Said Needed To See, He Dismissed It
The man who hopes to be President Donald Trump’s health secretary repeatedly asked to see “data” or “science” showing vaccines are safe – but when an influential Republican senator did so, he dismissed it. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spent two days this week insisting to senators that he’s not anti-vaccine. He said that he instead supports vaccinations and will follow the science in overseeing the $1.7 trillion Department of Health and Human Services, which, among other duties, oversees vaccine research, approval and recommendations. (Neergaard and Stobbe, 1/31)
The Hill: Alsobrooks Grills Kennedy On Belief That Black Americans Should Get Different Vaccine Schedules
Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) on Thursday grilled Department of Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s history of claiming Black Americans have a better immune system than white people. Alsobrooks, one of only two Black women serving in the Senate, questioned Kennedy on what he meant regarding a 2021 claim that “we should not be giving Black people the same vaccine schedule that’s given to whites because their immune system is better than ours.” (Daniels, 1/30)
The New York Times: RFK Jr. Says He Won’t Keep Financial Stake In HPV Vaccine Lawsuits
During intense questioning Thursday by members of the Senate health committee about his plan to keep a financial stake in major vaccine litigation, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said that he would give away his rights to fees that might flow from it. It appears to be a reversal from the details of the government ethics agreement that he filed for his Senate confirmation hearings to become the nation’s health secretary. (Jewett and Craig, 1/30)
Stat: RFK Jr. Endorses Medications For Opioid Addiction At Confirmation Hearing
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has treated the U.S. drug epidemic as a priority, both in his independent bid for president and now as President Trump’s nominee for health secretary. But for all his advocacy surrounding the addiction crisis, Kennedy has never made clear his views on methadone and buprenorphine, the highly effective medications most commonly used to treat opioid use disorder. (Facher, 1/30)
Politico: RFK Jr.'s Health Tech Fix
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is bullish on health tech. Kennedy, President Donald Trump’s pick to head the federal government’s health agencies, wants to use artificial intelligence and telehealth to increase the quality of care for Medicare and Medicaid recipients while reducing costs, he told the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday. (Reader and Paun, 1/30)
KFF Health News: Recapping The RFK Jr. Hearings: A Live Discussion With KFF Health News Journalists
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation hearings for secretary of Health and Human Services took place Jan. 29 and Jan. 30, and KFF Health News reporters watched as the Senate Committee on Finance and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions asked Kennedy about everything from vaccines to abortion to Medicaid. (Norman, 1/30)
KFF Health News: KFF Health News' 'What The Health?': RFK Jr. In The Hot Seat
President Donald Trump’s choice to lead the vast Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., faced sharp questioning from senators this week, particularly over his history of vaccine denialism. Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s second week has been even more disruptive than its first, with an on-again, off-again funding freeze that left many around the country scrambling to understand what was going on. (Rovner, 1/30)
