For those concerned with the United States’ public health system, watching Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s testimony before the Senate Finance Committee was a painful and exasperating experience. Over the course of three hours, the head of the Department of Health and Human Services was conspiratorial and dishonest, obnoxious and confused, misguided and wrong.
It was, by any fair measure, a slow-motion implosion. Those who assumed RFK Jr. couldn’t possibly get any worse quickly realized that he still hasn’t reached rock bottom.
The reaction from the panel’s Democratic members was not at all surprising: Senate Democrats repeatedly clashed with the witness, characterized him as a dangerous public menace and urged him to resign for the good of the nation.
What was surprising, however, was that they weren’t the only ones who appeared displeased with the hapless HHS secretary. As The New York Times noted, some Republican senators who voted to confirm Kennedy weren’t exactly in his corner during his latest visit to Capitol Hill. From the report:
[A] handful of Republican senators, including two doctors, were particularly tough in their questioning of the secretary, especially when it came to his vaccine skepticism. Their remarks suggested deep irritation among some G.O.P. senators who, under intense pressure from President Trump, swallowed reservations about Mr. Kennedy’s past assertions and voted to put him in charge of the nation’s public health.
It’s best not to overstate matters: The grand total of Senate Republicans who’ve said it’s time for RFK Jr. to resign is still zero. It would be a mistake to suggest the Cabinet secretary has gone so far that even the GOP has abandoned him.
But throughout the year, when Trump administration officials have appeared before congressional committees, they have tended to be treated with kid gloves by the panel’s Republican members. This was simply not the case with Kennedy.
At different points during Thursday’s hearing, three Republican senators — Louisiana’s Bill Cassidy, North Carolina’s Thom Tillis and Wyoming’s John Barrasso — made clear they were not impressed with what they’ve seen from Kennedy’s tenure.
Barrasso — a physician by trade and the incumbent Senate majority whip (the #2 position in the GOP leadership) — went unexpectedly far in his pointed remarks, especially given his reputation for unflinching partisanship.
“I support vaccines. I’m a doctor. Vaccines work,” the Wyoming Republican said. “Secretary Kennedy, in your confirmation hearing you promised to uphold the highest standards for vaccines. Since then, I have grown deeply concerned.”
Did these GOP senators call for Kennedy to step down? No. Are they likely to push the White House to force Kennedy out? No. Should the public expect them to take any affirmative steps to address the dangerous chaos Kennedy is imposing on the nation’s public health system? No. But if we’re grading on an exceedingly generous curve, it was nevertheless a welcome change of pace to see at least a few Senate Republicans clear a (very low) bar and make clear that they’re not happy with RFK Jr.’s leadership, for which they bear some responsibility, having voted to confirm him. As for the White House, JD Vance rallied to Kennedy’s defense — the vice president took the opportunity to peddle some anti-trans nonsense while arguing online that his former Senate colleagues are “full of s—” — and Donald Trump suggested the HHS secretary is likely to stick around for a while. Claiming that Kennedy’s absurdities are “not your standard talk” when it comes to medical and vaccine issues, the president concluded, “I like the fact that he’s different.” Of course, it’s those “differences” that are putting Americans’ well-being in jeopardy.
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."
Latest Post
Recommended
