Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will be on Capitol Hill this week for a series of meetings with senators after being tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to head the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in his next term.
Kennedy is expected to spend four days at the Capitol before lawmakers leave town for Christmas.
While there, Kennedy is expected to be pressed on his beliefs on abortion, which have left some Republicans with questions, as well as on the effectiveness of vaccines, about which bipartisan lawmakers have publicly expressed concerns.
OFFER CLEMENCY AD GETS MIXED REVIEWS IN CAPITOL HILL: ‘WHERE’S THE BAR?’
President-elect Trump tapped Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head HHS. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“I want to know what your real concerns are and what you would like to do differently. But I don’t want to lose our vaccine programs,” Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., recently told reporters, reflecting on his time as president. governor who oversees such programs.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., shared that while he will meet with Kennedy, he has already given a resounding “yes.”
“I’ve already had the privilege of sitting down and answering most of my questions. We will meet, but I supported the president nominating him for it,” he said.
“So, I was rooting for it even before that happened.”
THE TIDE TURNS IN TRUMP’S FAVOR DOD PICK PETE HEGSETH AFTER MATT GAETZ’S FAILURE
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., said he had spent time with RFK Jr. on the campaign trail. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Mullin, a close Trump ally, noted that he had spent a lot of time with Kennedy during the election campaign.
Kennedy is a prominent vaccine skeptic and has voiced his own criticisms of many popular vaccines. This has drawn criticism from some on both sides of the aisle, as vaccines have commonly been relied upon to prevent viruses in childhood and slow their spread.
However, since endorsing Trump before the end of the campaign, Kennedy has moderated his approach to vaccines somewhat. in a interview With NBC News, he rejected the suggestion that he is “anti-vaccine.”
GOP COUNSEL-GENERAL OFFER SUPPORT FOR TRUMP’S FBI PICK, KASH PATEL URGES SENATORS TO DO THE SAME
Vaccines have come under renewed scrutiny following the Covid-19 pandemic. (iStock)
“If the vaccines work for someone, I’m not going to take them away from them,” he promised.
“So I will make sure that there are scientific studies of safety and effectiveness, and that people can make individual assessments of whether that product will be good for them.”
Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., told Fox News Digital that he hopes to meet with Kennedy. Lankford, a strong pro-life advocate, has previously said he had many questions about Kennedy’s position on abortion.
MANCHIN, SINEMA TANK SCHUMER LAME-DUCK EFFORT TO SECURE DEM MAJORITY ON TOP LABOR BOARD
Trump’s selection of RFK Jr. for HHS is raising some concerns among Republicans. (Reuters/Istock)
Several other Republicans have previously expressed to Fox News Digital their interest in speaking with Kennedy about abortion.
At the same time, Kennedy has managed to attract some politicians with his plans to tighten food regulations and “make America healthy again.”
The veteran Democrat-turned-independent could potentially gain support from those on the Democratic side of the aisle, given there is bipartisan support for addressing food security.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
It is unclear who Kennedy will meet with at the Capitol, but some Democrats have signaled that its doors are open.
A representative for Kennedy declined to comment to Fox News Digital about the visits planned for this week.
