Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination for Health and Human Services Secretary has encountered significant resistance from senators due to his stance on vaccines. During two confirmation hearings this week, Kennedy, nominated by President Trump, faced intense questioning about his past claims linking vaccines to autism. While he maintained he is "pro-safety" and not anti-vaccine, promising to "follow the science" and even apologize if proven wrong, his refusal to explicitly state that vaccines don't cause autism has been a major sticking point.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, the top Republican on the Senate health committee, expressed his struggle with Kennedy's nomination, highlighting the candidate's tendency to question scientific evidence supporting vaccine safety. Cassidy, a physician, emphasized the importance of public trust in vaccines and questioned whether Kennedy would use his prominent platform to bolster or undermine that trust. He contrasted his own approach of using scientific evidence to reassure the public with what he perceived as Kennedy's selective use of evidence to sow doubt.

Despite finding common ground with Kennedy on issues like unhealthy food and obesity, Cassidy stressed the critical role of the HHS secretary in promoting public health. He underscored the need for Kennedy to unequivocally affirm vaccine safety, acknowledging the impact such a statement would have on public confidence. Sen. Elizabeth Warren also addressed Kennedy's vaccine stance, referencing a recent viral exchange between the two. Cassidy ultimately stated he needed to determine if Kennedy could be trusted to support public health before deciding on his vote.