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Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. found himself in the arena Thursday morning.
Room 215 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building is not a conventional “arena.” It’s the hearing room for the Senate Finance Committee, but circumstances converted the room into such a venue.
Kennedy was due to appear before the Senate Finance panel long before August “happened,” but Kennedy’s “August” is what placed special focus on Kennedy’s appearance.
RFK Jr. sacked newly-confirmed Centers for Disease Control Director Susan Monarez – four weeks after senators greenlit her nomination – and issued new, stringent, controversial eligibility guidelines for people to receive a COVID-19 booster this fall.
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The forum was hostile. The hearing for Kennedy quickly devolved into a verbal judo match. He sparred with senators from both parties. They jousted over science and politics, but the heart of the conflict was internal turmoil at the CDC and vaccines.
“Do you accept the fact that a million Americans died from COVID?” asked Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., of Kennedy.
“I don’t know how many died,” answered Kennedy.
Warner was apoplectic.
“You’re the Secretary of Health and Human Services. You don’t have any idea how many Americans died from COVID?” asked an incredulous Warner.
“I don’t think anybody knows because there was so much data chaos coming out of the CDC,” replied Kennedy.
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This bewildered Warner.
“The Secretary of Health and Human Services doesn’t know how many people died from COVID? Doesn’t know if the vaccine helped prevent any deaths. And you are the sitting Secretary of Health and Human Services,” continued Warner. “How can you be that ignorant?”
That was only part of Democrats unloading on Kennedy.
“You’re so wrong on your facts,” the Secretary charged when tangling with Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.
The Washington Democrat wasn’t having it.
“You’re interrupting me. And, sir, you’re a charlatan,” said Cantwell. “You’re the one who conflates chronic disease with the need for vaccines.”
“You are putting America’s babies’ health at risk. America’s seniors’ health at risk. All Americans’ health at risk. And you should resign,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
At one point, RFK Jr. tussled with Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo.
“You’re evading the question,” Kennedy yelled at the senator.
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Bennet wouldn’t allow the witness to flip the script.
“I’m asking the questions here! I’m asking the questions!” thundered Bennet. “I’m asking the questions on behalf of parents and schools and teachers all over the United States of America who deserve so much better than your leadership.”
But the secretary gave as good as he got.
“You’re making things up to scare people and it’s a lie,” alleged Kennedy when facing questions from Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H.
He went on to accuse Hassan of “crazy talk” and claimed she was “just making stuff up.”
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Kennedy’s new COVID jab guidelines roiled the hearing.
He told Warren that “anyone can get the booster.”
“So you’re saying that is now the official rule. Just anybody is eligible to get a booster by just walking into the pharmacy?” queried Warren.
“It’s not recommended for healthy people,” Kennedy said.
“No, no!” retorted Warren. “If you don’t recommend it, then the consequence of that in many states is that you can’t walk into a pharmacy and get one.”
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., is an orthopedist, but even he was vexed by Kennedy’s vaccine vacillation.
“In your confirmation hearings, you promised to uphold the highest standards for vaccines,” said Barrasso. “Since then, I’ve grown deeply concerned.”
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who is no stranger to calling out the Trump administration, warned Kennedy to tread carefully on vaccines.
“We’re playing with fire here,” warned Tillis outside the hearing room. “If the death rates go up for children who aren’t vaccinated, they need to own it. Own it. Don’t say, ‘whoops, we got the science wrong.’”
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Senate Health Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy, R-La., is a gastroenterologist. He was skeptical of Kennedy’s qualifications for the job – before ultimately voting to confirm him. Cassidy seemed baffled by the secretary’s stance on vaccines.
“Do you agree with me that the president deserves a Nobel Prize for Operation Warp Speed?” asked Cassidy about the Trump administration’s effort to fast-track a COVID-19 shot in 2020.
“Yeah, absolutely, senator. It’s phenomenal,” Kennedy responded.
“But you just told Sen. Bennet that the COVID vaccine killed more people than COVID?” said Cassidy.
“Wait! I did not say that!” Kennedy fired back, but Cassidy wasn’t through.
“It surprises me that you think so highly of Operation Warp Speed, when as an attorney, you attempted to restrict access,” said Cassidy.
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During the hearing, Kennedy claimed on multiple occasions that he canned Monarez as CDC chief because she didn’t tell the truth.
“Are you telling us that the former head of CDC went to you and you asked, ‘are you a trustworthy person?’ And she said, ‘no, I am not a trustworthy person,’” questioned Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
“She didn’t say ‘no. I’m not a trustworthy person.’ She said ‘no,’” said Kennedy.
“Wow!” exclaimed Sanders.
Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., who is an OB-GYN, defended the firing – even though President Trump nominated Monarez and Marshall just supported her confirmation in July.
“I voted for her. I made a mistake. I thought she could do the job. But unfortunately, she’s not part of the President’s mission of Secretary Kennedy turning the CDC upside down,” said Marshall.
As we said, August “happened.”
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Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., criticized his colleagues who attacked Kennedy and he noted that each senator only scored five minutes to question the Secretary.
“Thank you for your willingness to serve and for putting up with this abuse,” Johnson said to Kennedy. “Five minutes isn’t even close to refute all of the falsehoods that have been confidently spewed during this hearing.”
Vice President JD Vance also rode to Kennedy’s aid, posting on social media that “Democrats are getting absolutely TORCHED by @SecKennedy.”
He added that Democrats were “full of sh*t and everyone knows it.”
The turmoil isn’t over. Kennedy told senators he may fire other CDC officials. And one can imagine the questions about COVID-19 which might emerge this fall and winter if there’s yet another surge.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman, Michael Crapo, R-Idaho, granted Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the top Democrat on the panel, a few extra questions at the end of the hearing. Crapo then asked Kennedy if he cared to add any closing remarks.
Kennedy declined the invitation.
“I’ll have mercy on everybody and let us adjourn,” he said.
Until there’s another foray into the arena.
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