Upcoming Kennedy hearings to spotlight hotly debated public health issues

Advocates for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda were gathered in Washington this week ahead of a senate committee hearing on Kennedy’s nomination to lead the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – an event expected to put a spotlight on a number of hotly debated public and environmental health issues.

Kennedy is scheduled to testify before the Senate Committee on Finance on Wednesday and then will appear for questioning by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Thursday. Senators are expected to press the nominee on his views on a wide range of issues that deeply divide Americans, including vaccines, farming practices, and food policies.   

President Donald Trump’s nomination of Kennedy, a lifelong Democrat from California who ran against Biden and Trump for president as an independent, has been among Trump’s most controversial nominations, drawing opposition from both parties and from an array of powerful corporate and public health interests.

Critics say Kennedy lacks the credentials to lead HHS, which has sweeping authority over many key health and science agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And they say his positions on certain issues discount scientific research and would endanger public health.  

But proponents insist that Kennedy is more than qualified given his long history as an environmental lawyer who was named one of Time Magazine’s “Heroes for the Planet” for his work cleaning up and protecting waterways, and as the founder of a group called Children’s Health Defense, which has the stated mission of “ending childhood health epidemics by eliminating toxic exposure” and holding “responsible parties accountable.”

Both sides were trying to make their voices heard in advance of Wednesday’s hearing, which was declared the “most important hearing of all Trump’s Cabinet picks” by Lawrence Gostin, director of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University, according to NBC News.

Coalitions of critics

Opponents include the American Public Health Association, which accuses Kennedy of “poor judgment” and “consistent disregard for scientific evidence,” and dozens of organizations that signed onto a Jan. 24 letter accusing Kennedy of “bizarre anti-public health views” that would unwind advancements against disease prevention.

The coalition of critics includes diverse interests such as the National Consumers League and Physicians for a Healthy Democracy. A conservative group associated with former Vice President Mike Pence has also been vocal in opposition, running ads against Kennedy.

Among the most prominent critics are those who accuse Kennedy of being “anti-vax” though Kennedy has repeatedly rejected the label and said he is not against the use of vaccines, but is against vaccine mandates and legislation that shields vaccine makers from legal liability.

“I am for vaccines. I am pro-vaccine. I had all my kids vaccinated. I think vaccines save lives,” Kennedy said in a 2017 interview. “Nobody is trying to get rid of vaccines here. I just want safe vaccines.”

In a 2024 interview, Kennedy reiterated that position, “I’m not anti-vaccine… I’m called that because it’s a way of silencing me but I’ve said for 17 years I’m not anti-vaccine, I just want good science. People should be able to make informed choices.”

Powerful food and agricultural industry interests are also opposed to Kennedy, who has been harshly critical of government policies and farming practices that encourage the use of pesticides shown by scientific research to cancer and other diseases to grow food.

Kennedy has been particularly vocal against glyphosate, the main ingredient in the popular weedkiller Roundup that has been classified as a probable carcinogen by a major international cancer research group. 

Kennedy presents a “huge risk to American agriculture,” according to Rod Snyder, a former  adviser to the Environmental Protection Agency in the Biden administration, as quoted by DTN.

Kennedy has also drawn criticism for his support for certain unorthodox COVID-19 treatments, and his endorsement of consumption of raw milk, his call for an end to a policy of adding fluoride to drinking water supplies, and  other controversial positions.

The New York Times states that Kennedy has “for decades promoted baseless conspiracy theories.”

Large fan base

Many of the Kennedy positions that fuel his critics are also what appeal to his supporters. His fan base encompasses devotees of his advocacy for healthy lifestyle choices and his opposition to pesticides in farming, harmful food additives, vaccine mandates and other types of chemical or artificial interventions.   

He is viewed as a champion by many for railing against the influence that powerful industries wield inside regulatory agencies that are supposed to oversee them and his pledge to make government work more transparent and accountable to voters.

Kennedy, whose more than 5 million followers on X surpasses Vice President JD Vance, has been promoting the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) platform, which prioritizes policies that include supporting regenerative agricultural practices, preserving natural habitats, and “eliminating toxins from our food, water and air.”

Hundreds of medical professionals have endorsed Kennedy, signing on to a letter  that argues the HHS Secretary should “champion people with concerns about their health, chronic diseases, health policies, and environmental toxins.” Kennedy has “repeatedly demonstrated this courage while maintaining an unwavering commitment to evidence-based decision making,” the letter states. The letter of support cites Kennedy’s advocacy “for greater transparency in vaccine research, efficacy, and safety,” positioned within “the broader context of his public health advocacy.”

Labeling Kennedy “anti-science” and “anti-vaccine” as a means to discredit him “stifles open debate and discourages independent evaluation of the science, ultimately fostering greater public distrust,” the letter states. 

Several Kennedy backers were attempting to show their support in the halls of Congress ahead of the hearings.

Zen Honeycutt, the founder of Moms Across America, which campaigns against toxic chemicals in food and the environment, was delivering letters supporting Kennedy to senate offices this week and called on the thousands of members of her organization to pressure their senators to support Kennedy. Honeycutt said she will be attending the hearing Wednesday.

“He has dedicated over 35 years to clean up our country from toxins and contaminants that are ruining our health. He doesn’t want our kids exposed to toxins,” Honeycutt posted on X on Monday. “A vote for RFK Jr means standing up to corporate interests and supporting the reversal of chronic disease. We are sick of being sick and we’re sick of excuses.”

Vani Hari, a food activist and author known as “Food Babe” who has more than 2 million followers, was also planning to attend the hearing Wednesday to show her support.

“As a mother I’ve dedicated my life to advocating for the removal of harmful ingredients from food that’s marketed directly to my kids,” Hari said. “He put his own politics aside for the hope of reversing the chronic disease epidemic in our children. We have an unprecedented opportunity to have a leader who is intellectually honest about America’s food system in government to implement policies that protect our citizens.”

Marion Nestle, an emerita professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University and author of the book Food Politics, said her position on Kennedy was “pragmatic.”

“I will support what I agree with and oppose what I don’t,” Nestle said. “But I am thrilled to hear food issues discussed at this level, something that I haven’t seen since Michelle Obama.”