RFK Jr. tries to reassure senators hes all for the polio vaccine during outreach with GOP
Robert F.Kennedy Jr.
clarified Monday during his rounds with GOP senators that he supports the polio vaccine amid revelations that one of his allies had filed a 2022 petition to yank approval of the shot.“I’m all for the polio vaccine,” the Health and Human Services Secretary designee told reporters in between meetings in the Hart Senate Office Building.Ahead of the Kennedy scion’s charm offensive with senators, it resurfaced that Aaron Siri, an attorney who served as his personal lawyer during his presidential bid, sought in 2022 to get the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the polio vaccine rescinded.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who is set to step down from that role this week, had suffered from polio during his youth, which left his upper left leg paralyzed.McConnell, 82, had publicly advised Kennedy to “steer clear of even the appearance of association with such efforts” to nix the polio vaccine approval.President-elect Donald Trump defended polio vaccines during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago on Monday.
“I’m a big believer in it, and I think everything should be looked at, but I’m a big believer in the polio vaccine,” Trump, 78, explained.Some potential swing votes on Kennedy’s forthcoming nominations such as Sens.Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) have been supportive of vaccines and indicated they will scrutinize him.
They’ve been largely mum about exactly where they stand on the HHS pick.GOP senators have seemingly refrained from preemptively opposing any of Trump’s pick out of fear of unnecessarily roiling the base.
Sen.Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) had faced an intense pressure campaign earlier this month after voicing apprehension about Pentagon boss designee Pete Hegseth.
Ultimately, she backed down and indicated she’d “support Pete through this process.”“The approach is going to be everybody line up.If you want to survive, you better be good.
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