Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attempted to walk back his past anti-vaccine and pro-abortion rights stances in his Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday as he fielded questions from both sides of the aisle. The big picture: In his hearing,

The final round of committee hearings for Kennedy’s bid to be HHS Secretary was contentious from the start.

President Donald Trump has nominated Kennedy to be the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Medicare and Medicaid and helps enforce the Affordable Care Act commercial health insurance rules.

Kennedy, a Democrat who ran as an independent but ended up supporting Trump in the 2024 presidential campaign, was grilled by senators over his views on vaccines, abortion, Medicaid and more during two days of confirmation hearings.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he wanted "gold standard science" on vaccines, but when presented with compelling research, he cited reasons to doubt it.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s alternating views on vaccines, reproductive rights and public health issues were a central focus at his first confirmation hearing Wednesday, with Democratic senators expressing dismay at his nomination and Republicans signaling he’ll likely have their support.

Mr. Kennedy appears to have most Republicans behind him as he seeks the job of health secretary, though he couldn’t escape his past stances on vaccines and abortion.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump’s nominee for health secretary, repeatedly confused Medicare and Medicaid. He also tried to convince senators he was not against vaccines, despite past statements.

Democrats undermined public trust during the pandemic. Republicans can now reassure Americans that vaccines save lives and money.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, faced another day of tough questioning today in the second of his two confirmation hearings for his nomination to be Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), declining to distance himself from previous statements he has made linking childhood vaccines to autism.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will emphasize that he is not “anti-vaccine” when he appears Wednesday in Congress at the first of two straight days of Senate confirmation hearings.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s frequent questioning of the safety of childhood vaccinations over the years is persisting as an issue in his confirmation hearings to become the Trump administration's top health official.