RFK Jr. hearing live updates: Trump's pick to head HHS faces bipartisan skepticism

getty_robertfkennedyjr_012925924042
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON)– Donald Trump has promised he’d let Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “go wild” on health, food and medicine as head of the Department of Health and Human Services.

He now faces two separate confirmation grillings over his controversial views — on everything from vaccines to abortion — that have both Republicans and Democrats raising concerns.

He’s appearing Wednesday before the Senate Finance Committee and then on Thursday before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

Caroline Kennedy urges senators to reject RFK’s nomination

Caroline Kennedy, RFK Jr.’s cousin, wrote a letter to lawmakers warning she believed he is “unqualified” for the role.

She called him a “predator,” shared disturbing details of his alleged behavior with animals and accused him of being “addicted to attention and power.”

“The American health care system, for all its flaws, is the envy of the world. Its doctors and nurses, researchers, scientists, and caregivers are the most dedicated people I know. Every day, they give their lives to heal and save others. They deserve better than Bobby Kennedy – and so do the rest of us. I urge the Senate to reject his nomination,” she concluded.

Kennedy set for grilling on vaccine views, food guidelines and more

Kennedy is sure to be asked about his past comments questioning vaccine science and the food industry.

In private meetings with senators, Kennedy has been telling senators that he’s not “anti-vaccine,” but rather that he wants more study, according to two people familiar with the discussions.

Some Republicans have also said they want Kennedy, who was a Democrat before aligning with Trump in 2024, to clarify his position on abortion rights.

Read more about about what to expect from RFK’s hearing here.

-ABC News’ Anne Flaherty, Will McDuffie, Cheyenne Haslett and Olivia Rubin
 

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.