Democratic senator Maggie Hassan broke off in tears during the confirmation hearing for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. While legislators debated about vaccine sciences.
Kennedy appeared on Capitol Hill for a second confirmation hearing, because senators decide whether they will confirm the controversial candidate to lead the Ministry of Health and Human Services.
The hearing immersed itself in a wide range of issues that have exposed a gap in the Republican party over vaccines, while other legislators focused on Kennedy's earlier posts about 9/11 conspiracy theories.
But the hearing took a dramatic turn when Hassan visibly became emotional to address her colleagues as various support from studying the connections between vaccines and autism.
“You may not know that I am the proud mother of a 36-year-old young man with a serious cerebral palsy,” Hassan said, her voice shaking.
“And a day doesn't pass if I don't think about what I did when I was pregnant with him who may have caused the HydroPephalus who influenced his life like that?” she said.
'So please do not imagine that someone in that body of both political parties does not want to know what the cause of autism is. Do you know how many friends I have with children with autism? “She said fiercely.
Senator Maggie Hassan (DN.H.) became deeply emotional while she shared her story about her son with cerebral palsy during the confirmation hearing for Robert Kennedy Jr.
She said that the problem with Kennedy's answer about what autism causes is that he is recovering the fixed science.
Hassan said that they cannot move forward and discover the real cause of autism.
'Mr. Kennedy, that first autism study rocked my world. And like every mother, I was worried about whether the vaccine had actually done something with my son, and you know what, it was a small study of about 12 children, “Hassan told Kennedy.
'And over time, the scientific community studied and studied and discovered that it was wrong. And the magazine withdrew the study, because science is sometimes wrong. We are making progress, “she said.
Hassan told Kennedy when he continues to doubt Settle Science, it makes it 'impossible to move forward' and 'uses us in place. '
Senator Hassan depicted with her son Ben Die cerebral palsy in a message that she shared on social media. During the hearing on Wednesday, Hassan suggested that someone does not want to know what the cause of autism is
Kennedy was on Capitol Hill for a second confirmation hearing after he was tapped by President Trump to lead the Ministry of Health and Human Services, but some senators of both parties accused him of undermining vaccines with his work from the past
Her comments came as three Republicans in the Markwayne Mullin, Rand Paul and Tommy Tuberville vaccines committee openly questioned or rejected and an accused Democrats of attacking Kennedy because of politics on substance.
“I don't understand why my colleagues suddenly say that we can't question science,” said Mullin.
'I am definitely surprised that it is suddenly so shame that Bobby is here, he interrogates science because I guarantee you if he was sitting here, and he would be the secretary of HHS under the former President Biden .. I would bet That you, you would have his back 100 percent and would enjoy the fact that he is questioning science, “Mullin told Democrats.
“My God, if we didn't ask science, where would we be today?” Asked Mullin.
He has expressed concern about vaccines and argued that they should ask and with the increase in autism “Why should we not look at everything?”
Mullin suggested that everyone in the room knows one person with a child who suffers from autism.
“And you all say that Bobby can't ask?” Asked Mullin.
He suggested that they are only against Kennedy because he was supported by Trump and thanked Kennedy for questioning.
After the accusation, Hassan addressed the Oklahoma senator by name and noted that she voted to confirm other nominees of Trump before she started her emotional story.
Senator MarkWayne Mullin (R-OK) accused Democrats of not supporting Kennedy only because he was nominated by Trump. He also knocked down senators because they did not question the science, because some expressed concern about the earlier anti-vaccine work of Kennedy
But while some Republican legislators sowed doubts about vaccines, Gop -chairman Bill Cassidy, a doctor, praised vaccinations and sounded alarms about Kennedy's position.
Cassidy spoke about his personal experience as a doctor and worked to vaccinate children so that they do not die from a disease that can be prevented with a vaccine.
He said that Kennedy has a huge following and many trust him on a doctor, so he must know what the nominee would do with their trust.
Cassidy noted that Kennedy Senators says that he is pro-vaccine, but it was not clear what he would tell parents and said that Kennedy's earlier comments undermine him that enter him.
“Will you reassure mothers unambiguously and without qualifying that measles and hepatitis B -vaccines do not cause autism?” Early Cassidy and noticed that several studies show that vaccines do not cause autism.
“If the data is there, I will absolutely do that,” Kennedy told him.
“As far as I am concerned, you are in doubt about some of these vaccines … but the data has been there for a long time,” Cassidy said.
Towards the end of the hearing, Cassidy still seemed to struggle whether he would vote for Kennedy and suggested that he is looking at a predominance of evidence to support vaccines while Kennedy pulls Selective evidence to make doubts.
“Does a 70, 71-year-old man who criticize vaccines for decades and who is financially based in finding errors with vaccines his attitude and approach now that he has the most important position that influences the vaccine policy in the United States?” he asked.
“Do you continue as you have been or do you want to fall over a new magazine at 70?” Cassidy continued. He said he still has to find out.
Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) indicated that he was still struggling or he would vote to confirm Kennedy. Although the aid committee he is chairman does not vote to promote the appointment, he is also in the Senate Finance Committee that votes. Cassidy has expressed concern about Kennedy's earlier anti-vaccine work, even though he tells senators now that he is pro-vaccine
It was one of the several times during the hearing where Kennedy -Skeptics expressed concern about his comments from the past and interrogating evidence or data.
In another striking moment of the hearing, Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) brought a poster that showed Kennedy's Post from July 2024 in which he interviewed 9/11.
“My view on 9/11: it's hard to say what a conspiracy theory is and what is not,” the post read.
Kaine told Kennedy Point Blank 'WE does not need people who give oxygen to conspiracy theories around 9/11 'and asked the nominee why he decided to post about 9/11 conspiracy theories in 2024.
“Senator, the dramatic fall in trust in our government,” said Kennedy.
Kaine had the problem with Kennedy who also wrote in the post 'I don't take a party on 9/11' and asked Kennedy if he finds it difficult to generally tell what a conspiracy theory is and what is not.
“My father told me that when I was 13 years old, he told me that people are in authority, and that the task of a citizen in every democracy is to maintain a fierce skepticism of the government agency,” said Kennedy.
