J.D. Vance Defends Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Amid Senate Grilling

In a contentious Senate Finance Committee hearing on Thursday, Vice President J.D. Vance publicly supported Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during his grueling questioning by Democratic senators. Vance took to social media to criticize the senators’ approach, stating, “When I see all these senators trying to lecture and ‘gotcha’ Bobby Kennedy today, all I can think is: You all support off-label, untested, and irreversible hormonal ‘therapies’ for children, mutilating our kids and enriching big pharma.”

The hearing featured intense exchanges, particularly with senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and Ron Wyden of Oregon, who pressed Kennedy on his vaccine policies and public health recommendations. Warren challenged Kennedy’s announcement that the vaccine is no longer approved for healthy individuals under 65, asserting that this could limit access to vaccines for many Americans. “If you don’t recommend it, then the consequence of that in many states is that you can’t walk into a pharmacy and get one,” she argued.

Kennedy countered, “It’s not recommended for healthy people,” emphasizing that most Americans would still be able to obtain the vaccine at no cost from pharmacies. In a heated exchange, Warren pressed further, accusing Kennedy of breaking promises made during his confirmation hearing. “That was your promise!” she exclaimed. Kennedy replied assertively, “I never promised that I was going to recommend products for which there is no indication!”

Sanders joined the fray, questioning the influence of pharmaceutical donations on Kennedy’s decisions. He pointed out that many Republican senators also receive funding from the pharmaceutical industry, implying a broader issue of corruption. “Are they all corrupt as well?” Sanders asked. Kennedy retorted that he had not accepted any such contributions, clarifying, “I don’t think so.”

The hearing took a dramatic turn when Wyden confronted Kennedy about the potential consequences of his vaccine stance. “I hope that you will tell the American people how many preventable child deaths are an acceptable sacrifice for enacting an agenda,” he said. Kennedy responded with equal fervor, noting, “Senator, you’ve sat in that chair for — how long? 20, 25 years? — while the chronic disease in our children went up to 76 percent. And you said nothing.”

The political backdrop to this exchange reveals significant financial ties between the senators and the pharmaceutical industry. Warren has reportedly received approximately $1.3 million from the pharmaceutical and health products sectors during her political career, while Sanders and Wyden have received $1.95 million and $1.2 million, respectively. Kennedy’s popularity appears to be holding strong, as recent polling suggests that he has a favorable rating of 52 percent among likely voters.

This hearing underscores the complex dynamics of public health policy and the influence of political donations. With Kennedy’s approval ratings higher than many of his political peers, the fallout from this hearing may have broader implications for ongoing discussions about vaccine policy and public health initiatives in the United States.