As confirmation looms, RFK Jr. is glad-handing key GOP lawmakers

On Monday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as his secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, was in D.C. to meet with influential conservative lawmakers that could help him secure his nomination. 

Kennedy had meetings with the likes of Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL), Ron Johnson (R-WI)  Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Tim Scott (R-SC) and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) to discuss his policy positions regarding public health — many of which have been called controversial, at best. For example, as a presidential candidate, Kennedy falsely claimed that diseases like HIV and Lyme disease were the product of vaccine research. 

“I will end all gain-of-function research [as president],” Kennedy said at a panel he organized last year. “It’s just a disaster, it’s given us no benefits. It’s given us everything from Lyme disease to COVID, and many many other diseases. RSV, which is now one of the biggest killers of children, came out of a vaccine lab.” 

“We can go down the whole list of diseases,” Kennedy continued. “There’s even good evidence that even Spanish flu came from vaccine research.” 

The collection of GOP senators that Kennedy met with, however, attempted to iron out and normalize Kennedy’s more extreme beliefs following their discussions with the one-time Democrat turned independent. 

"So, what he wants with vaccines is, which is what I believe in, is transparency," Rick Scott told  a huddle of reporters, according to ABC News. "I think we, we need to know exactly, with all vaccines, what has been the, the research and, you know, do they work? What's your risk?"

Tuberville even went so far as to parrot vaccine-skeptic talking points that are often expressed by Kennedy and his anti-vax movement. 

“If you look at the number of vaccines these young babies get over a short period of time, it's dozens and dozens of them. And he's totally against that,” Tuberville said. “He wants to make sure that parents understand the good and the bad and the ugly instead of just forcing parents to give vaccines to their kids.”

However, Kennedy’s nomination is by no means set in stone. 

In advance of Kennedy’s visit, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released a statement urging the Trump administration to “steer clear” of tampering with polio vaccine regulations. McConnell, who is finally retiring as the GOP’s Senate leader, survived a bout of polio as a child. Meanwhile, RFK Jr.’s lawyer has asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to revoke approval of the polio vaccine.

“Efforts to undermine public confidence in proven cures are not just uninformed — they’re dangerous,” McConnell said in a statement published last Friday. “Anyone seeking the Senate’s consent to serve in the incoming Administration would do well to steer clear of even the appearance of association with such efforts.”