周二，参议院财政委员会投票通过了小罗伯特·F·肯尼迪在唐纳德·特朗普总统领导下领导卫生与公众服务部的争议性提名。
小组按照党派路线投票，14票对13票。
对肯尼迪来说，这是一场高风险的投票，因为就委员会的构成而言，只要有一名共和党人反对他，他的提名就有可能泡汤。
所有的目光都集中在参议员比尔·卡西迪身上，他是路易斯安那州的共和党人，也是一名长期的医生，在上周的听证会上，他对肯尼迪过去质疑疫苗的言论的影响深表担忧，包括在2023年的一次播客中说，“没有疫苗是安全有效的。
卡西迪告诉甘乃迪，当提名程序接近尾声时，他正为提名“挣扎”。卡西迪说，两人在周末和周二早上聊得更多。
卡西迪周二投票决定推进对肯尼迪的提名。
“我在周末甚至今天早上与鲍比和白宫进行了非常激烈的对话，”卡西迪在周二早些时候发布到X的一份声明中解释他的投票。“我要特别感谢JD副总裁的真诚忠告。我从政府那里得到了严肃的承诺，并且有机会在健康食品和亲美议程等问题上取得进展，我将投赞成票。”
后来，在参议院的发言中，卡西迪谈到了肯尼迪在谈话中向他保证的事情。
“肯尼迪先生和政府试图向我保证他们致力于保护疫苗接种的公共卫生利益。为此，肯尼迪先生和政府承诺，如果他得到确认，他和我将有前所未有的密切合作关系，”卡西迪说。
卡西迪说，他将每月与肯尼迪会面或交谈多次，并将就HHS的招聘决定提供咨询。
这位参议员补充说，肯尼迪还承诺保持疾病预防控制中心免疫实践咨询委员会的建议“不变”，疾病预防控制中心“不会删除他们网站上指出疫苗不会导致自闭症的声明。”
特朗普总统周一表示，他已经致电对肯尼迪表示担忧的参议员。据美国广播公司此前报道，副总统JD万斯也一直在悄悄游说参议员支持肯尼迪。
肯尼迪的提名将在参议院全体会议上进行审议。最终投票可能会在本周或下周初进行。
白宫新闻秘书Karoline Leavitt说，他们希望“全参议院共和党人都能保持强硬和强大”，并投票确认Kennedy进入川普的内阁。
“让美国再次健康，这是一个非常受欢迎的口号，也是这个国家非常受欢迎的运动。还有数以千万计的美国人希望小RFK成为下一任HHS国务卿，我们希望全参议院共和党人都保持强硬态度，投他的票，”莱维特周二与记者们谈笑风生时说道。
围绕肯尼迪对疫苗的看法，问题仍在继续。在上周三和周四的听证会上，他多次表示，他支持疫苗，不是“反疫苗”，而是“支持安全”。
然而，肯尼迪公开质疑麻疹和脊髓灰质炎疫苗的广泛使用，并错误地将前者与自闭症联系起来，尽管几项高质量的研究没有发现这种联系。
他还指出了一篇有缺陷的论文，认为有证据表明疫苗会导致自闭症。参议院救助委员会的最高共和党人卡西迪说，他一眼就看出了该文件的方法有问题。
Kennedy还对新冠肺炎疫苗拯救生命的益处表示怀疑，他说他不认为“任何人”可以说疫苗拯救了数百万人的生命。
A2022研究来自耶鲁大学公共卫生学院和马里兰大学医学院的研究人员估计，该疫苗挽救了300万人的生命，防止了1800万人住院。
更多:在重大逆转，肯尼迪告诉参议员，他不会从疫苗诉讼中拿钱
参议员们也对肯尼迪过去的评论感到困惑。科罗拉多州的民主党参议员麦克·班尼大声朗读了肯尼迪过去发表的所谓评论，包括关于变性儿童的毫无根据的说法。
肯尼迪否认发表过这样的评论，尽管他在2022年的一集播客中重复了一个毫无根据的阴谋论，暗示包括邻苯二甲酸酯在内的内分泌干扰物(使化学物质更持久)和杀虫剂可以影响性取向或性别认同。
RFK Jr. passes key Senate panel vote to advance health secretary nomination
The Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday voted to advance Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s controversial nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services under President Donald Trump.
The panel voted along party lines, 14-13.
It was a high-stakes vote for Kennedy, as with the committee’s makeup it would have taken just one Republican to oppose him for his nomination to be potentially sunk.
All eyes were on Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican and longtime physician who, during last week's hearings, expressed deep concerns about the impact of Kennedy's past comments casting doubt on vaccines, including saying on a 2023 podcast that "no vaccine is safe and effective.
Cassidy told Kennedy he was "struggling" with his nomination as those proceedings came to a close. The two spoke more over the weekend and on Tuesday morning, Cassidy said.
Cassidy voted on Tuesday to move forward with Kennedy's nomination.
"I’ve had very intense conversations with Bobby and the White House over the weekend and even this morning," Cassidy said in a statement posted to X earlier Tuesday, explaining his vote. "I want to thank VP JD specifically for his honest counsel. With the serious commitments I’ve received from the administration and the opportunity to make progress on the issues we agree on like healthy foods and a pro-American agenda, I will vote yes."
Later, in remarks on the Senate floor, Cassidy spoke about what Kennedy assured him during those conversations.
"Mr. Kennedy and the administration reached out seeking to reassure me regarding their commitment to protecting the public health benefit of vaccination. To this end, Mr. Kennedy and the administration committed that he and I would have an unprecedentedly close collaborative working relationship if he is confirmed," Cassidy said.
Cassidy said he will meet or speak with Kennedy multiple times a month, and will consult on hiring decisions at HHS.
The senator added that Kennedy also pledged to keep the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations "without changes" and the CDC "will not remove statements on their website pointing out that vaccines do not cause autism."
President Trump said on Monday he's called senators who have concerns about Kennedy. Vice President JD Vance had also been quietly lobbying senators to line up behind Kennedy, ABC News previously reported.
Kennedy's nomination will next head to the floor for consideration before the full Senate. A final vote could occur this week or early next week.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that they expect "all Senate Republicans to stand tough and strong" and vote to confirm Kennedy to Trump's Cabinet.
"Make America Healthy Again, that is a very popular slogan and it's a very popular movement in this country. And there's tens of millions of Americans who are hopeful that RFK Junior will be the next HHS secretary and we expect all Senate Republicans to stay on tough and strong and vote for him," Leavitt said as she gaggled with reporters on Tuesday.
Questions have continued to swirl around Kennedy's views on vaccines. He said several times during the hearings last Wednesday and Thursday that he supports vaccines and is not "anti-vaccine" but "pro-safety."
However, Kennedy has openly questioned the widespread administration of both measles and polio vaccines, and has falsely linked the former vaccine to autism, despite several high-quality studies finding no such link.
He also pointed to a flawed paper to suggest there is evidence to claim that vaccines cause autism. Cassidy, the top Republican on the Senate HELP Committe, said he saw problems with the paper's methodology upon first look.
Kennedy also cast doubt on the lifesaving benefits of the COVID-19 vaccines, saying he doesn't think that "anybody" can say the vaccines saved millions of lives.
A2022 studyfrom the Yale School of Public Health and University of Maryland Medical School estimated the vaccine saved 3 million lives and prevented 18 million hospitalizations.
Senators were also befuddled by comments Kennedy made in the past. Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado read aloud alleged past comments made by Kennedy, including unfounded claims about transgender children.
Kennedy denied making such comments despite repeated an unfounded conspiracy theory during an episode of his podcast in 2022, suggesting endocrine disruptors, including phthalates -- which make chemicals more durable -- and pesticides, can influence sexual orientation or gender identity.
