Sen. Bill Cassidy, the top Republican on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, concluded Thursday's hearing by saying he was "struggling" with the nomination due to Kennedy's vaccine positions. Kennedy notably refused to say vaccines don't cause autism as he faced pointed question from lawmakers.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination to be the nation’s top health official is uncertain after a key Republican joined Democrats to raise persistent concerns over the nominee’s deep skepticism of routine childhood vaccinations that prevent deadly diseases.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he wasn’t antivaccine as senators pressed on his past remarks, in the first of two days of hearings over his nomination for health secretary.

Kennedy Jr. rejected characterizations of him as an anti-vaxxer in a Senate hearing Wednesday where senators will weigh his confirmation as Health and Human Services Secretary—as his former billionaire running mate threatens to fund primary challenges against lawmakers who vote against him.

Kennedy’s bid to serve as America’s top health official may be decided by a handful of Republicans, including several senators who questioned him Thursday.

Kennedy also said gender-affirming care for children has "catastrophic" impacts and that children are not equipped to make judgments about receiving such care. He said he would re

Mary Holland, head of Kennedy-founded Children's Health Defense, spoke to POLITICO after attending his confirmation hearing.