Follow along today for ongoing coverage of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s second Senate confirmation hearing. 

Read our Day 1 recap story from staff writer Emma Beavins here.

Refer back to comments made in yesterday’s hearing from our live recap story.

For more background information on RFK Jr.'s health positions, see here.


Updated 1:02 p.m. ET

The hearing has concluded. The Senate Finance Committee is expected to vote on whether to advance his nomination to the full Senate as the next step of this process.

Please look out for a Day 2 recap and keep following along as Fierce Healthcare covers the new administration.


Updated 1:01 p.m. ET

Sanders concludes he's not hearing the answers he needs to believe RFK Jr. will truly make America healthy again. In typical Sanders-fashion, he goes on a mini monologue about working long weeks on too low of wages, and how individuals cannot truly be their healthiest under those working conditions.


Updated 12:58 p.m. ET

Cassidy says in a closing statement he is fully aligned with RFK Jr. on food and nutrition but is "struggling with your nomination" on his approach to vaccines and entrenched beliefs.

He is urging RFK to unequivocally support vaccines and rebuild the country's trust in them. He adds any vaccine-related controversy with RFK Jr. as HHS Secretary would cast a shadow over Trump's term, and could result in deadly consequences. 

Expect to hear from me over the weekend as I grapple with your confirmation, he tells RFK Jr.


Updated 12:54 p.m. ET

Sanders is now far over time, drawing pushback from Sen. Mullin. He was incensed by RFK Jr.'s claim Sanders, and other lawmakers, accept pharmaceutical donations.

"I ran for President. I got millions of contributions," he countered. "They did not come from executives. Not one nickel of PAC money from the pharmaceutical industry."

"In 2020, you were the single largest recipient [of pharma lobbying]," said RFK.


Updated 12:45 p.m. ET

Sen. Sanders again says he agrees with Cassidy's line of questioning, an "unusual and uncomfortable" position. He then put into the record 16 studies saying vaccines do not cause autism.

He asked RFK Jr. whether he believes the COVID-19 vaccine saved lives or was dangerous.

"I'm agnostic because we don't have the science to make that determination," he replied.

Sanders then brought up a statement from CMS yesterday on the drug negotiation program. RFK said he would comply with the law but did not give a huge embrace of the IRA provision. 

Yesterday, RFK said an executive order would be announced soon on drug prices. It appears he could have been referencing that statement, if not an older announcement from Trump's first week.

[Read more on RFK's exchange with Sanders and Democrats' concerns on CMS' drug negotiation program statement here]


Updated 12:35 p.m. ET

RFK Jr. commits to not impounding Congressionally appropriated funds for vaccinations programs, and says he won't impose new grant conditions outside of his authority.

Cassidy gives his overall reaction to the hearing.

"I've been impressed that on many things you are familiar with recent medical data, but on other things you haven't been," he said. Cassidy pulls up an evidence-based meta analysis evaluating 1.2 million children that concluded vaccines are not causing autism.

The nominee again said there are other studies showing the other point of view, but promised to apologize or correct his beliefs if they are proven wrong. A message sent to Cassidy from a former NIH employee, which Cassidy shared, said researchers have tried engaging with RFK Jr. but have made no headway.

RFK repeatedly used this study to back up his point of view.


Updated 12:35 p.m. ET

More NIH-related questions from Sen. Susan Collins, R-ME, asking why funding for infectious disease research needs to be paused.

RFK countered that there has been an imbalance, and more dollars should be spent toward chronic disease.

He also would not seek to reduce the availability of the polio vaccine, he told Collins.


Updated 12:28 p.m. ET

Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-MD, said in a meeting leading up to the hearing, RFK said he would fire bad scientists and hire good scientists at NIH. "What does a qualified scientist look like?" she asked Kennedy during the hearing.

"Scientists devoted to empirical methodology to evidence-based science, scientists who understand the importance of replication, importance of publishing raw data and being open," he said. He then added he wants to remove corrupt scientists and referenced this story from the New York Times on Alzheimer's research.

Alsobrooks then said his views that Black Americans would need different vaccine schedules than other Americans is dangerous.


Updated 12:23 p.m. ET

"We do need to shake some things up, but we also need to give a level of confidence, and this is what I'm hearing from so many of my colleagues who have raised the issue of vaccines," said Lisa Murkowski, R-AK, a potential defection from the RFK nomination "yes" camp. "We can't be going backwards with our vaccinations that will allow for this level of prevention and protection."

RFK Jr. is clearly growing frustrated he's not receiving sufficient time to answer questions.

However, the nominee said he will bring in an assistant secretary for the first time in American history for Native American health services, hoping there is an advancement for telemedicine and AI for people to receive high-quality healthcare.


Updated 12:16 p.m. ET 

RFK again stating his trip to Samoa had nothing to do with vaccines. Sen. Ed Markey, D-MA, is referring to a blog post from the nominee that contradicts that claim.

He said he had vaccine discussions with people while he was there, but that was not the point of the trip. Markey notes an anti-vaccine believer funded the trip, but RFK says they wouldn't classify themselves that way. Markey then reads from a letter RFK Jr. sent to the Samoa prime minister in 2019 blaming the outbreak on mass vaccinations, the same year he visited.

He also referenced a letter from Nobel Prize winners saying his views are dangerous.

"You should look at the conflicts of those individuals," said RFK Jr. "Look at who financed that letter."


Updated 12:10 p.m. ET 

Moody is choosing to relitigate the COVID-19 vaccine public health emergency with much of her time. She is reading from a Florida grand jury investigation.

"If we want uptake of vaccines, we need a trustworthy government," Kennedy testified. Democratic lawmakers argue trustworthiness is down, partly due to untrue comments made by RFK Jr. and his allies.


Updated 12:03 p.m. ET 

RFK Jr. reiterates to Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-CO, that President Trump wants to lower drug prices.

Hickenlooper asked how money saved from the drug price negotiation program could be put toward prevention.

RFK Jr. answers by saying some agencies should curtail toxins, while CMS should continue moving toward value-based care.

It's a far less accusatorial line of questioning from Hickenlooper than other Democrats, but he pushed more strongly on his comments yesterday over Lyme disease. He said he hasn't researched the issue deeply enough.


Updated 12:00 p.m. ET 

Sen. Jon Husted, R-OH, is up. He replaces Vice President JD Vance in his seat. Sen. Ashley Moody, R-FL leaned over to help him turn on his mic.

He asked why the SNAP food program pays for unhealthy food. Husted wants RFK to take a leadership role across agencies to advise on food policy changes.

RFK said he has a good relationship with nominee Brooke Rollins.


Updated 11:55 a.m. ET 

Sen. Blunt Rochester, D-DE, said what concerns her most about RFK’s nomination is his skepticism of vaccines. She asked if RFK believes a person with severe pregnancy complications should be allowed to receive emergency care, including an abortion, to save their life. RFK said yes.

“We should be providing care to pregnant women,” RFK said. He also said Trump wants to do so.

She asked if programs targeting Black women to address the maternal health crisis are considered health DEI programs. RFK refused to answer yes or no. Blunt Rochester expressed concern about what their future will be. RFK said DEI programs that Trump eliminated were costing millions of dollars with “no discernible impact” on human health. He said the decision to keep or cut such programs for Americans’ health is up to Congress.


Updated 11:49 a.m. ET

Sen. Jim Banks, R-IN, said he will vote to confirm RFK Jr. because refusing to do so is “thumbing my nose” at the support he garners from ‘MAHA moms,’ a newer coalition of Republican voters.

On the topic of China, he said America should not rely on the country’s drug manufacturing.


Updated 11:45 a.m. ET

Sen. Andy Kim, D-NJ, asked if RFK supports medications for opioid use disorder treatment. He said yes and that methadone and suboxone are important interventions for some patients. He did not go as far as calling them the gold standard of treatment.

When it comes to GLP-1s, RFK said he supports them for people with diabetes or morbid obesity. But he believes they should not be prescribed without exercise and should not be a frontline intervention for kids.

RFK said he believes electromagnetic radiation, such as from wifi, causes cancer. He said he believes the U.S. should study the causes of mass shootings, but did not directly answer if he would support CDC’s collection of data on firearm mortality. 


Updated 11:37 a.m. ET

After an impassioned attack on RFK Jr. by Hassan, it is immediately followed by a defense from Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-AL, for “bringing the light.”

He asked about the pharmaceutical industry and the use of prescription drugs in the country today.

“You know, attention deficit when you and I were growing up, our parents didn’t use a drug,” said Tuberville. “They used a belt. Nowadays, we give them Adderall.”

RFK agreed, and said the industry is too powerful.

“We’re the only country that allows full scale pharmaceutical ads on TV” he noted, saying there is not a drug that can fix every problem.


Updated 11:30 a.m. ET

Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-NH, got emotional talking about her 36-year-old son with severe cerebral palsy. She reprimanded RFK’s disproven claims about vaccines’ correlation to autism.

“When you continue to sow doubt about science, it makes it impossible for us to move forward,” Hassan said.

She moved on to to question Kennedy about the different parts of Medicare. For the most part, he did not answer correctly or incompletely. “It appears that you don’t know the basics of the program,” Hassan said. RFK acknowledged he misstated in the first day of the confirmation hearings that Medicaid is entirely a federally-funded program. 


Updated 11:27 a.m. ET

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-MO, asks RFK about gender-affirming care.

RFK Jr. said the Biden administration’s approach to gender-affirming care, and rules finalized in his four years, were anti-science. Specifically, he believes children should not be able to receive these procedures, a position aligned with President Trump.

“I do want to add, the people who have gender differences should be respected, they should be loved,” he said.


Updated 11:20 a.m. ET

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-CT, pressed RFK on his past inflammatory claims about AIDS being a “different disease” in Africa than in the U.S. RFK has also claimed pedophilia in the Catholic Church is a “perfect metaphor” for the vaccine program in the U.S. and compared vaccines to the Nazis.

“You’re not questioning science. You’ve made up your mind,” Murphy said.

RFK cited a government oversight investigation committee’s probe into the CDC’s vaccine program in 2003 that found some participants in the program had “misplaced institutional loyalty to the CDC.”

He reiterated he is pro-vaccine and he wants to get rid of conflicts of interest in the agency. “Show me I’m wrong,” he said.


Updated 11:15 a.m. ET

RFK Jr. has to answer on his pro-life credentials for the first time today. Sen. Tim Scott, R-SC, asked if deputies within HHS will be pro-life.

“I’m going to implement President Trump’s policies,” before adding, “Yes, I am” when pressed further on hiring pro-life deputies.

Scott then pivoted to drug shortages.

“President Trump has told me it’s his priority to bring essential medicine manufacturing back to this country,” he answered.


Updated 11:12 a.m. ET

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-VA, asked RFK about his tweet from July 5, 2024, calling 9/11 a “debate” and that it was hard to distinguish conspiracy from reality.

“We don’t need folks giving oxygen to conspiracy theories about 9/11,” Kaine said.

RFK responded that the job of citizens is to question authority. “People are allowed to hold that opinion,” RFK noted.

Kaine then turned to Gardasil, an HPV vaccine. He asked RFK how the public can trust him as an independent authority given his past litigation against and fees from suing the manufacturer. RFK said he has given away all of his rights to any fees from that lawsuit. 


Updated 11:05 a.m. ET

“When my kids come out from getting their vaccine, they look like a freaking pin cushion,” said Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-OK. “Give me anybody in this room that doesn’t know somebody that you’re personally connected to, that one of their children doesn’t suffer from some severity of autism.”

His comments are some of the strongest from a Republican lawmaker so far, questioning whether vaccines could cause autism, and if the data supports that. RFK is tasked with trying to appear reasonable to a broad population on vaccines to get confirmed, while still highlighting his innate skepticism on “the science.”


Updated 11 a.m. ET

Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-WI, asked RFK if he is aware of the guardrails in place to guarantee vaccine safety, such as FDA’s post-approval monitoring and the vaccine adverse event reporting system. RFK claimed CDC keeps this data in a “lock box” away from scientists.

“If you want to take a second look at the science, well it’s here. It’s available. It’s conclusive,” Baldwin said.

RFK refused to answer whether he believed that a medication was safe that 98% of people who take have zero complications. Baldwin asked specifically about mifepristone, an abortion medication that has been FDA-approved for more than two decades with many studies proving its safety. Baldwin asked if RFK would keep this medication on the market. RFK said he would be following the policy Trump has put forth. 


Updated 10:55 a.m. ET

Sen. Patty Murray, D-WA, began with a focus on cancer as a serious chronic disease increasingly affecting women under 50, per the American Cancer Society.

“There is clear data showing that the HPV vaccine has saved lives and cut cervical cancer rates dramatically,” she said. She asked if RFK stands by his past claims that the HPV vaccine is dangerous and increases the risk of cervical cancer.

RFK said he recommends children follow the CDC schedule and he would support the schedule if he is confirmed. He also said he would support vaccines against measles and the avian flu.

Murray then questioned RFK about his accusations of sexual harassment and assault by Eliza Cooney, a former babysitter for his family He unequivocally denied the claims. He also denied ever making unwanted sexual advances to individuals broadly.

“By voting to confirm Mr. Kennedy we’d be telling our constituents he’s worth listening to. That alone could get people killed,” Murray said.


Updated: 10:54 a.m. ET

RFK Jr. tells Sen. Roger Marshall, R-KS, there has never been an HHS Secretary truly focused on eliminating chronic disease.

“My conclusion is we have to guard the physician-patient relationship,” Marshall says.

RFK Jr. also noted “MAHA will not succeed without the cooperation and partnerships of agricultural producers.” He made similar statements yesterday and told the Finance Committee he won’t take anyone’s junk food, but instead wants to make sure people fully understand the health risks of foods.

Marshall said he is meeting with President Trump later today to discuss the tragic airplane crash last night.


Updated: 10:42 a.m. ET

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, says Democratic lawmakers have lost the trust of the public on vaccines by being out of touch. He says vaccines are not a “one-size-fits-all” on government mandates for adults and children.

Paul, aligning himself with Make America Healthy Again, says more data are needed to see whether some vaccines cause chronic conditions. Paul is not on the Senate Finance Committee, so this is his first time speaking during an RFK Jr. hearing.

He did not ask him a question, instead projecting his comments to Democrats. He earned a round of applause.

Cassidy pushed back against Paul on hepatitis B vaccines.


Updated: 10:40 a.m. ET

Sanders started his time by following up on Cassidy's questioning about vaccines. He asked RFK Jr. again whether he believed vaccines caused autism, emphasizing that data disputing that claim exist. RFK Jr., as usual, said he would need to see the data to make a determination.

Sanders then turned to the COVID-19 vaccine, citing data that the vaccine saved 3 million lives and prevented 18 million hospitalizations. He said Trump, who he often disagrees with, also called the vaccine "one of the greatest miracles." But RFK Jr. petitioned the FDA to revoke the emergency use of COVID vaccines in 2021, Sanders said. 

RFK Jr. responded that he does not know whether the COVID vaccine was successful and saved millions of lives. "We don't have a good surveillance system," he claimed.

Sanders stressed that the scientific community has established this, and the data are there to support this. "You're applying for the job. Clearly, you should know this. The scientific community has established that ... you're casting doubt. That is really problematic," Sanders said.

Sanders then pivoted and asked RFK Jr. whether he's willing to stand up to the new administration's "proposal" to cut Medicaid benefits "to give tax breaks to billionaires." RFK Jr. said Trump has made no indication he will deprive people of their healthcare, saying Trump just wants to make the systems of Medicare, Medicaid and Obamacare better.


Updated: 10:30 a.m. ET

Cassidy now questioning RFK Jr. Immediately asks for a yes or no answer from RFK Jr. on whether he will not cast light on lifesaving vaccines. 

Yesterday, he asked some of the questions during the hearing, even as a Republican. He asked about federal programs like Medicare and Medicaid, but the vaccine line of questioning is new.

Cassidy asked if RFK Jr. believes Lyme disease is a military bioweapon, referencing answers from yesterday.

"I never have said, definitively, Lyme disease was created in a biolab."

When asked if the FDA will deprioritize or delay review and approval of vaccines, RFK Jr. said yes.


Updated: 10:23 a.m. ET

In a similar opening statement from yesterday, RFK Jr. reiterates and downplays his past public health and vaccine comments. 

It focused on the root cause of disease, asthma, cancer, addiction, adding the country is ready for a unique inflection moment.


Updated: 10:18 a.m. ET

In the statement from ranking member Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, he noted how America, as a rich country, should not make individuals pay so much for healthcare. He wants to hear from RFK Jr. on taking on insurance and pharmaceutical companies to lower the price of drugs.

Sanders supports the drug price negotiation program, paid family leave and a higher minimum wage.


Updated: 10:15 a.m. ET

Cassidy opening statement hits on his past when he practiced medicine in Louisiana and California. He has reservations on past vaccine comments from RFK Jr., but acknowledges how much of what he says resonates with his audience.


Updated: 10:05 a.m. ET

The hearing has begun. Chair Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, will kick us off, noting already he has reservations about some of RFK Jr.'s past statements on vaccines. 

Fierce Healthcare will post the opening remarks once they are finalized.


Updated: 6:00 a.m. ET

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will take questions from lawmakers again, just one day after fiery exchanges in front of the Senate Finance Committee.

This time, RFK Jr. will face the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP). The committee is led by chair Bill Cassidy, M.D., R-Louisiana, and ranking member Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont. 

Both Senators asked RFK Jr. questions yesterday. Cassidy chose to focus on Medicare and Medicaid, while Sanders noted areas of agreement before arguing with RFK Jr. about onesies sold by the company he founded, Children’s Health Defense Fund.

Republicans, and some Democrats, were receptive to RFK Jr.’s stance on food regulation, ultra-processed foods, chronic illness and Medicare Advantage. But Democrats repeatedly brought up past anti-vaccine rhetoric and a lax approach to public health. RFK Jr. disputed many of their claims, only for Democrats to counter by reading his words directly to him, and RFK Jr. then arguing the comments were taken out of context.

RFK Jr. continues to face pushback from the pro-life movement for his inconsistent beliefs surrounding reproductive rights and abortion—areas Democratic lawmakers continued to highlight in an effort to wedge uncertainty between Republicans and RFK Jr.

It’s expected RFK Jr. will face similar questions today. More protestors could try to disrupt the proceedings. He may get tested on his knowledge of federal programs like Medicaid after stumbling through answers in front of the finance committee. For example, he was asked to guess how many babies are born through Medicaid. The correct figure is about 1.4 million, according to KFF, but he guessed 30 million. He also wrongly asserted the federal government pays for Medicaid and stated the program has high premiums, despite neither claim being true. These statements might be particularly concerning for lawmakers who may be wary of deep Medicaid cuts likely to be included in an upcoming reconciliation bill. RFK Jr. was fact-checked on a variety of topics discussed here.

He could also be expected to answer questions related to recent remarks made by family relatives publicly opposing his nomination or numerous other personal controversies. Additionally, it’s been reported RFK Jr. could seek to change how doctors are paid as well as seize patents of high-cost pharmaceuticals.

Strategy firm Capstone predicts there is a 90% likelihood RFK Jr. is ultimately confirmed by the Senate. The group calls out Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, and John Fetterman, D-Pennsylvania, as potential yes votes, but Cassidy could side with Democratic senators.

A confirmation vote is expected next week. The Senate Finance Committee must vote to advance a nominee to the full Senate, where debate over the candidate commences. RFK Jr. must secure a majority of votes, and Vice President J.D. Vance can serve as a tiebreaker, as he did for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.