Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont impartial, stated Sunday that he used to be “no longer in particular glad” with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presentation ahead of Senate committees closing week, although he would no longer say how he plans to vote on Kennedy’s nomination to guide the Division of Well being and Human Products and services.
“I can vote when I’m going to vote. However anyone who watched that listening to understands my deep considerations about Kennedy,” Sanders said on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”
Sanders, who caucuses with Democrats, is the rating member at the Senate Well being, Schooling, Hard work and Pensions committee and in addition sits at the Senate Finance Committee, which Kennedy gave the impression ahead of closing week. The Finance Committee introduced Sunday that it’s going to vote on whether or not to advance RFK’s nomination Tuesday.
The Vermont impartial defined the place he thinks Kennedy is correct, pointing to his feedback concerning the country being bad, about lifestyles expectancy relative to different rich international locations and problems with the meals trade. However he wired that Kennedy “continues to imagine that autism is brought about via vaccines,” and used to be no longer aligned with him on problems like common healthcare and concentrated on the pharmaceutical trade to decrease prescription drug costs.
Sanders additionally argued that “the conspiracy theories” that Kennedy has entertained are “no longer not like what we are listening to far and wide the Trump management.”
The feedback come after Kennedy used to be grilled on his vaccine stance, amongst different issues, all the way through the hearings closing week, as his development out of committee — and affirmation via the Senate extra extensively — stays in query.
Sen. Invoice Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, stated he is been “suffering” with Kennedy’s nomination because of considerations he would possibly undermine religion in vaccines. And with out give a boost to from Democrats and independents at the committee, Cassidy’s opposition may tank a good advice for Kennedy. In a ground vote ahead of the whole Senate, Republicans can lose simply 3 votes to verify Kennedy with out give a boost to around the aisle.
Despite the fact that Kennedy, 71, dropped out of the presidential race to endorse President Trump in August, he up to now sought the Democratic nomination and has shut ties to the celebration because the because the nephew of President John F. Kennedy and the son of Robert F. Kennedy.
Sanders, requested whether or not he would assist Republicans to verify Kennedy, stated he’ll make his determination within the days forward, noting that even though he is voted for a few of Mr. Trump’s nominees, although he is voted in opposition to maximum.