Sanders, the senior minority party member on the committee, pressed Kennedy to concede that health care was a human right, as his father, Robert F. Kennedy, and his uncles, John F. Kennedy and Edward Kennedy, had done. Kennedy again did not give a definitive answer.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. goes before two two U.S. Senate hearings in his quest to head the nation's health department. Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, a doctor, sits on both.

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.

The GOP senator and former physician expressed misgivings about whether Trump’s controversial HHS pick could be trusted with the public’s health.

While Democrats blasted Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for previous comments on vaccines and some Republicans teed him up for stump speeches, Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana mostly stuck

Here's when and where Robert F. Kennedy will get his first hearing as President Trump's nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services.

Senator Bill Cassidy, a physician and key G.O.P. vote, joined Democrats in aggressively questioning Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump’s pick for health secretary. He did not say how he would vote.

If approved, Kennedy will control a $1.7 trillion agency that oversees food and hospital inspections, hundreds of health clinics, vaccine recommendations and health insurance for roughly half the country.

“Bobby! Bobby!” Supporters decked out in MAHA (“Make America Healthy Again”) pins and hats chanted this as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s nominee for health secretary, entered a packed room for his Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing on Wednesday.

Kennedy, tapped by Trump to lead HHS, struggled to ease concerns held by on-the-fence GOP senators over his long history of vaccine skepticism.

Three of President Trump’s controversial Cabinet nominees faced confirmation hearings Thursday. Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. look most at risk.