Headed into Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s first Senate confirmation hearing, many observers expected the longtime conspiracy theorist to face tough questions about his many outlandish ideas — and he did. It was also widely assumed that Donald Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services would try to distance himself from his lengthy record of anti-vaccine activism — and he did that, too.
It also stood to reason that Kennedy would pretend he never said many of the ridiculous things he most definitely said — and he also did that.
Follow MSNBC’s live blog coverage of Kash Patel’s and Tulsi Gabbard’s confirmation hearings.
What was not altogether expected, however, was to see the HHS nominee struggle badly with the basics of the American health care system, which Kennedy would be in a position to oversee. NBC News reported:
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, stumbled multiple times during his first Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday when lawmakers pressed him about potential changes to Medicaid. … At the end of the hearing, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the ranking member of the Finance Committee, said Kennedy was “unprepared,” suggesting that he didn’t seem to know the difference between Medicare and Medicaid.
The Oregon Democrat’s assessment was more than fair given that Kennedy appeared to be out of his depth in response to questions that really shouldn’t have been especially challenging.
Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, for example, asked the nominee about possible Medicaid reform plans, at which point Kennedy replied, “Most people who are on Medicaid are not happy. The premiums are too high, the deductibles are too high, the networks are narrow.”
In reality, there’s ample public-opinion research that shows broad support for Medicaid, and the vast majority of its beneficiaries do not pay any premiums or deductibles.
Soon after, Kennedy also testified that he believes Medicaid is “fully paid for” by “the federal government.” That was wrong, too: State governments fund nearly a third of the program.
One need not be a health care policy wonk, intimately familiar with granular and obscure details, to be aware of these facts. Indeed, this is the kind of basic information one would assume that an HHS nominee would already know. Kennedy, however, tripped over his ignorance. At the same hearing, the nominee appeared to struggle with how the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act is implemented at local hospitals. It led Doctors for America past president Meghana Rao to tell The Washington Post, in reference to Kennedy, “I’m absolutely terrified that he doesn’t understand how EMTALA works.” Under normal circumstances, Kennedy wouldn’t even be considered for such a position. He is after all, a conspiracy theorist with fringe beliefs and no relevant professional experience. In a healthy political environment, his nomination would be considered a sad joke. In our political environment, however, Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee appeared inclined to support Kennedy anyway. The nominee is now poised to face a second hearing, this time with the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Watch this space.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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