In a fiery exchange that stole the spotlight, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Senator Bernie Sanders clashed hard during the second day of Kennedy’s confirmation hearing for the position of head of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The tension started when RFK Jr., who’s been nominated to lead the HHS, boldly stated that he planned to make America the healthiest country in the world. But Senator Sanders, never one to back down, immediately challenged him, asking how he planned to do so without guaranteeing free healthcare for every American. This question seemed to hit a nerve.
Kennedy shot back, accusing Sanders and many of his fellow senators of taking millions from the pharmaceutical industry. “By the way, Bernie,” Kennedy began, “the corruption isn’t just in federal agencies – it’s in Congress too.” He went on to say that many lawmakers, including Sanders, were protecting the pharmaceutical industry’s interests with those big donations.
The crowd responded with applause, but Sanders, visibly upset and now heated, quickly defended himself, saying that the millions he raised for his presidential campaign didn’t come from pharmaceutical execs, but from workers.
But RFK Jr. wasn’t backing down either. He reminded Sanders that, in 2020, the senator had been the “single largest receiver of pharmaceutical money” in Congress, accepting a whopping $1.5 million.
This sparked a fiery back-and-forth, with Sanders insisting that the money came from hardworking people, not corporate PACs, and clarifying that it only made up a small fraction of the total funds he raised.
While they both stood their ground, things got even more intense when the subject shifted to the real costs of healthcare. Sanders, still frustrated, pressed Kennedy on how he planned to make America healthier without a healthcare guarantee for everyone. A tense moment followed when a senator from off-camera noted that Sanders was over his time, hinting that he might be “battering the witness.”
Despite the tension, the two weren’t done yet. Earlier in the hearing, Sanders had already thrown a tough question Kennedy’s way: How could he claim to be pro-vaccine while his organization, Children’s Health Defense, was selling anti-vaccine baby onesies? He held up two onesies for the committee, priced at $26 each, emblazoned with phrases like “Unvaxxed, Unafraid” and “No Vax, No Problem.”
Kennedy, looking a bit defensive, replied that he had no control over the organization’s merchandise since he had resigned from its board months ago. But Sanders wasn’t finished. He pushed Kennedy to commit to removing the products from the market now that he was claiming to be pro-vaccine.
It was a fiery day of politics, with accusations flying and both sides sticking to their guns. The clash between Kennedy and Sanders isn’t over yet, and with both men clearly passionate about their beliefs, the tension may only continue to rise in future hearings.
What do you think? Will Kennedy be able to shake off these controversies, or will Sanders’ challenge prove too much to overcome?
