RFK Jr. Headed to the Hill for Meetings with Senators

One of the most controversial nominations made by Trump is putting RFK Jr. as the head of Health and Human Services.

Kennedy is going to have to seriously impress Senators to win their votes, and he is already off to a rough start.

Bad Start

Kennedy has done several interviews citing studies that he says show how vaccines cause a variety of health issues, including autism.

One vaccine that Kennedy has criticized in the past is the polio vaccine, once claiming that in the early days of the vaccine, it caused more deaths than it prevented (referring to 1955 to 1963).

More recently, Kennedy stated, “So if you say to me, Was the polio vaccine effective against polio? I’m going to say yes. If you say to me, Did it cause more deaths than it averted? I would say, I don’t know, because we don’t have the data on that.”

In 2020, he stated, “The proposition and the theology that smallpox and polio were abolished due to vaccination is controversial. That is not a proposition that is universally accepted.”

McConnell Targets Kennedy

Polio is a very touchy subject for Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and for good reason. McConnell contracted polio as a child and survived, but he still has lingering aftereffects that cause him problems from time to time. More specifically, McConnell often has problems walking stairs, hence the numerous falls he has taken over the years.

With Kennedy still calling the vaccine into question, McConnell went off, stating, "Efforts to undermine public confidence in proven cures are not just uninformed — they’re dangerous.”

The outgoing Senate Leader for the GOP continued, "From the age of two, normal life without paralysis was only possible for me because of the miraculous combination of modern medicine and a mother’s love. But for millions who came after me, the real miracle was the saving power of the polio vaccine.

"Anyone seeking the Senate’s consent to serve in the incoming Administration would do well to steer clear of even the appearance of association with such efforts."

Trump Says No

Trump was recently asked about Kennedy possibly ending the polio vaccine if he is passed through the Senate, and Trump was adamant it was “not going to happen.”

Trump further stated that while he would not allow Kennedy to ban the vaccine, he does want Kennedy "to come back with a report as to what he thinks" about it.

Trump continued, "We're going to have reports – nothing is going to happen very quickly. I think you're going to find that [Kennedy] is much – he's a very rational guy. I found him to be very rational. You're not going to lose the polio vaccine, that's not going to happen.”

I am not sure how this one is going to go, but it is really tough to imagine Kennedy winning over enough Republicans, considering he is a lifelong liberal. This nomination is going to tell us a lot about the backbone of our Republicans in the Senate.