Kennedy in New York City in November. Photo: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
HHS Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will meet with the Senate HELP Committee Republican staff next week as he begins to make rounds on the Hill, according to a source familiar with the meeting.
Why it matters: Many senators have said they have not heard from Kennedy since he has been nominated, so this is a sign that his outreach to senators is ramping up.
- The staff meeting is the HELP panel's customary first step before a meeting with Sen. Bill Cassidy, the incoming chair.
- Sen. Tommy Tuberville is meeting with Kennedy on Dec. 17, his office confirmed to Axios.
- The HHS secretary gets confirmation hearings in the Finance and HELP committees, though only Finance votes on whether to advance the nomination.
The big picture: Kennedy faces questions about his views on vaccines and on less-publicized issues like regulating food and agriculture and his past support for abortion rights.
- President-elect Trump told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday that Kennedy would investigate the discredited link between vaccines and autism.
