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Sanders grills RFK Jr. over baby onesies in heated HHS confirmation hearing

By isabelle // 2025-01-30

• Sen. Bernie Sanders grilled Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over $26 baby onesies sold by a nonprofit Kennedy no longer leads.
• Kennedy clarified he supports vaccines and outlined plans to address chronic diseases, calling it an "existential threat."
• Critics, including Sanders, focused on the onesies rather than Kennedy’s vision, raising questions about their motivations.
• Republican senators praised Kennedy’s focus on transparency and addressing chronic disease root causes.
• Kennedy called for unity and reform, emphasizing the need to put aside divisions for a healthier America.

In a confirmation hearing that veered into the absurd, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) spent precious time Wednesday interrogating Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump’s nominee for Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary, over $26 baby onesies sold by a nonprofit Kennedy no longer leads. The hearing, held before the Senate Finance Committee, was meant to assess Kennedy’s qualifications to lead one of the federal government’s most critical agencies. Instead, Sanders chose to focus on merchandise emblazoned with slogans like “Unvaxxed, Unafraid” and “No Vax, No Problem,” sold by Children’s Health Defense (CHD), a group Kennedy founded but resigned from in December 2024. Kennedy, a prominent environmental lawyer and vaccine safety advocate, repeatedly clarified that he is not anti-vaccine. “I support vaccines. I support the childhood schedule. The only thing I want is good science,” he told the committee. Yet Sanders, along with other Democratic senators, seemed determined to paint Kennedy as an anti-vaccine extremist, using the onesies as Exhibit A.

A distraction from real issues

The focus on baby clothes struck many observers as a bizarre distraction from the pressing issues at hand. Kennedy spent much of the hearing outlining his vision for addressing America’s chronic disease epidemic, which he called “an existential threat” to the nation. He cited alarming statistics: more than half of Americans suffer from chronic illnesses, and the U.S. spends $4.8 trillion annually on healthcare—nearly 20% of GDP. “Our ship is sinking,” Kennedy warned, promising to bring “radical transparency” to HHS and prioritize scientific integrity. Yet Sanders and others seemed more interested in the onesies than in Kennedy’s plans to tackle skyrocketing rates of cancer, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases. “You founded [CHD]. You certainly have power,” Sanders insisted, despite Kennedy’s repeated explanations that he no longer has any affiliation with the group. The irony of Sanders’ fixation on baby clothes was not lost on CHD, which took to X to thank the senator for the free publicity. “Get your CHD Baby Onesies here!” the group posted. “Thanks for the plug @BernieSanders! We know it doesn’t compete with what Big Pharma gifts you, but let us know if you want some CHD merch.” Kennedy’s critics, including Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), have long received significant campaign contributions from the pharmaceutical industry. This raises questions about their motivations in attacking Kennedy, who has been a vocal critic of Big Pharma’s profit-driven practices. “I’m not scared of vested interests,” Kennedy declared during the hearing. “I’m not here because I want a position or a job … I want to do this because we’re going to fix it.” Kennedy’s calls for transparency and accountability in public health agencies resonated with several Republican senators. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) praised Kennedy’s focus on addressing the root causes of chronic disease, while Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), chairman of the committee, said Kennedy “deserves to be confirmed.”

A call for unity and reform

Throughout the hearing, Kennedy struck a unifying tone, emphasizing the need to “put aside our divisions for the sake of a healthy America.” He pledged to bring together stakeholders to address the chronic disease crisis and restore trust in public health agencies. “We can’t be a strong nation when our people are so sick,” he said. “A healthy person has a thousand dreams. A sick person has only one.” As the hearing concluded, it was clear that Kennedy’s critics had little substantive ammunition against him. Their focus on baby onesies only underscored the weakness of their arguments—and the strength of Kennedy’s case for reform. The Senate Finance Committee’s confirmation hearing for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was a microcosm of the broader political divide in Washington. While Kennedy presented a bold vision for addressing America’s chronic disease epidemic and restoring trust in public health, his critics fixated on trivialities like baby onesies. Their inability to engage with the substance of Kennedy’s proposals speaks volumes about the influence of Big Pharma and the need for leaders who prioritize people over profits. If confirmed, Kennedy has the potential to bring much-needed transparency and accountability to HHS—but first, he’ll have to survive the onslaught of distractions from his detractors. Sources for this article include: ChildrensHealthDefense.org TheHill.com X.com WashingtonTimes.com FoxNews.com

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