HHS Secretary-designate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced another tough round of questioning today at a confirmation hearing before the Senate HELP Committee, with Chair Bill Cassidy drilling down on his past criticisms of vaccines and distrust of scientific evidence.

Why it matters: It was Kennedy's last chance to make a case for himself before the Finance Committee votes on whether to advance his nomination to the floor as soon as next week, Victoria reports.

Friction point: Cassidy, a physician and one of the most closely watched Republican votes, started out on a skeptical note, telling Kennedy that "it's no secret I have some reservations on your past positions about vaccines and some other issues."

• "You have once described yourself as pro-vaccine to me.… If you are approved to this position, will you reassure mothers unequivocally and without qualification that the measles and hepatitis B vaccines do not cause autism?" Cassidy asked.
• "If you show me data, I will be the first person to ensure the American people that they need to take those vaccines," Kennedy replied. "I just want to pledge to you, that I will never stick on a point if somebody shows me data that says I'm wrong."

Kennedy tried to make similar assurances to other senators on the panel when asked about treatments like the HPV vaccine, repeating that if they "show me the studies" he would not curtail access to these treatments. That vaccine has been found to be safe and effective.

• By the end of the hearing, Cassidy appeared unconvinced, telling Kennedy, "I have been struggling with your nomination."

Between the lines: Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, two other closely watched votes, reiterated their concerns about Kennedy's views on vaccines.

• "We can't be going backwards on our vaccinations," Murkowski said. "I am asking you on the issue of vaccines, specifically, to please convey with a level of authority and science, but also with a level of conviction and free of conflict and free of political bias, that these are measures that we should be proud of as a country."
• Collins asked the nominee if he would support herd immunity measures and the polio vaccine.

The other side: HELP Ranking Member Bernie Sanders, meanwhile, continued fiery denunciations from yesterday's Finance Committee hearing with Kennedy, grilling him about whether he thought the COVID vaccine saved lives.

• Kennedy answered that he didn't know, since "we don't have a good surveillance system."
• "You're applying for the job. Clearly you should know this," responded Sanders. Sanders also asked about Republicans considering cuts to Medicaid and whether Kennedy would resist such a policy.
• Kennedy responded that he "hadn't seen any of the congressional proposals."

Zoom in: In his Finance Committee hearing Wednesday, Kennedy seemed unclear on key differences between Medicare and Medicaid, and he continued to display unfamiliarity with the programs Thursday.

• Sen. Maggie Hassan asked Kennedy to describe Medicare Parts A, B and C.
• Kennedy appeared to stumble again with the details, describing Part A, as "mainly for primary care or physicians" and Part C as the "full menu of all the services."

The bottom line: Only Finance votes on whether to advance the nomination, but the HELP hearing gave Kennedy face time with Republican senators who hold the key to his nomination, since four GOP defections would sink his nomination, assuming Democrats are united in opposition.

The Trump administration is sending new signs that it will go ahead with the next round of Medicare drug price negotiations — but may put its own twist on Democrats' signature legislative achievement, Peter reports.

Why it matters: Although the new administration has put a target on energy and environmental provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act and paused a large swath of federal programs, CMS put out a statement saying lowering drug prices is a priority for the president.

Driving the news: "As the second cycle begins under the Trump Administration, CMS is committed to incorporating lessons learned to date from the program and to considering opportunities to bring greater transparency in the negotiation program," the agency said Wednesday.

• To be sure, that leaves room for unspecified changes to the program.
• Kennedy said at his Senate HELP confirmation hearing today that President Trump is "absolutely committed to negotiating lower drug prices."

Between the lines: Trump's attitude toward the drug negotiation program had been a major question, given that he backed the idea in his first campaign but opposed House Democrats' attempts to enact them during his first term.

• Now the program is set in statute, and Trump is tasked with carrying it out.

What they're saying: The drug pricing advocacy group Patients for Affordable Drugs praised the announcement.

• "We are very pleased to see the Medicare prescription drug program move forward under the Trump Administration," said the group's president, David Mitchell.

Yes, but: It is possible that Trump will change his mind or that his changes will alter the timeline or be industry-friendly.

• "As always, the devil is in the details — patients need to see strong negotiation that delivers the kind of deep price cuts achieved in the first round, where list prices were reduced by over 60% on average," Mitchell added.

1. TB in Kansas: The eastern part of the state is facing one of the largest recorded tuberculosis outbreaks in U.S. history, according to local health officials and the CDC. More from ABC News.
2. McConnell's polio: The senator's childhood bout with the disease informed his support for vaccines, which could cloud RFK Jr.'s confirmation prospects, per the WaPo.
3. Cigna's changes: The big insurer today pledged changes to medical and pharmacy plans amid widespread discontent with health plans and PBMs, Healthcare Dive reports.