Robert F Kennedy Jr and Sen Bernie Sanders had an explosive clash over the senator’s links to Big Pharma as Trump’s health nominee came out swinging in the second day of his confirmation hearing.
The spat started when RFK Jr, who has been tapped to be head of the Health and Human Services (HHS), promised he would ‘make America healthier than other countries in the world.’
Sen Sanders questioned how RFK Jr could do so without guaranteeing free healthcare to every American, which appeared to set the nominee off.
Referring to an earlier point in the hearing about corruption in the healthcare system, RFK Jr said: ‘By the way Bernie, the problem of corruption is not just in the federal agencies — it’s in Congress too.
‘Almost all the members of this panel, including yourself, are accepting millions of dollars from the pharmaceutical industry and protecting their interests.’
Applause was heard from the gallery before Sen Sanders, his face visibly flushed, repeatedly responded furiously with denials.
He said: ‘I ran for president like you. I got millions and millions of contributions – they did not come from the executives, not one nickel of PAC [political action committee] money from the pharmaceutical [industry]. They came from workers.’
However, RFK Jr refuted, and said in 2020, Sen Sanders was ‘the single largest receiver of pharmaceutical money’ and accepted $1.5million.
Sen Bernie Sanders and Robert F Kennedy Jr clashed during the latter’s confirmation hearing for secretary of Health and Human Services
The senator, with his face growing red and voice louder, yelled back: ‘Because I had more contributions from workers all over this country.
‘Workers, not a nickel from corporate PACs… from workers in the industry.’
Sen Sanders said it was $1.5million out of $200million he received.
During the 2020 election cycle, records show President Joe Biden received the most money from the pharmaceutical and/or health products industries, at $13million.
President Donald Trump received the second most at $6.9million and Sen Sanders received the third most at $1.4million during the 2020 election cycle, making him the highest recipient of pharma money in Congress.
Sen Sanders insisted he did not receive money from pharma executives but small donations may have been made by people who work at pharmaceutical companies.
Despite the donations, Sen Sanders has been a longtime champion of lower drug prices and increased access to healthcare.
Last year, the senator held a committee hearing to ‘hold big pharma accountable and to help Americans understand why we pay, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs.’
He called on the CEOs of some of the largest pharmaceutical companies, including Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb and Johnson & Johnson to testify at the hearing.
In 2019, Sen Sanders, along with Democratic House leaders, introduced new bills aimed at slashing high prescription drug prices in the US
Following Thursday’s exchange, Sen Sanders returned to the matter of the committee and said RFK Jr did not answer his initial question of how he would make America healthy again without committing to providing healthcare for all Americans.
When Sen Sanders asked for ‘one last question,’ a senator off camera noted Sen Sanders’ time was up and said: ‘Chairman we’re literally three minutes over here now. How long does it keep going?
‘At some time you’re just battering the witness.’
To which Sen Sanders, who had gone over his allotted questioning time, denied the claim and said: ‘I’m not battering the witness. I’m just trying to get an answer.’
This isn’t the first time the two men have clashed during the hearing.
On Wednesday, Sen Sanders asked RFK Jr how he can say he isn’t anti-vaccine if the group he founded is selling baby onesies with anti-vaxxing messaging on them.
The senator displayed two onesies being sold by the RFK-founded Children’s Health Defense, one of which said: ‘Unvaxxed, Unafraid,’ while the other said, ‘No Vax, No Problem.’ They cost $26 each.
The two men also clashed over vaccines during the hearing on Wednesday
Sanders said: ‘You have started a group called Children’s Health Defense. You’re the originator. Right now, as I understand, that on their website they are selling what’s called onesies – these are little things, clothing, for babies,
‘Now you’re coming before this committee and you say you’re pro-vaccine. And yet your organization is making money selling a child’s product to parents for $26 bucks, which casts fundamental doubt on the usefulness of vaccines.
‘Can you tell us now that you will – now that you are pro-vaccine – that you’re going to have your organization take these products off the market?’
The senator continued: ‘Are you supportive of this? Are you supportive of these onesies?’
Kennedy said he had ‘no power over that organization’ and had resigned from the board.
RFK Jr resigned from the board several months ago, but he did found the organization.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
