At confirmation hearing, RFK Jr. refuses to say that vaccines don’t cause autism

WASHINGTON — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. refused to confirm to senators that he believes vaccines do not cause autism during his confirmation hearing Thursday, appearing to jeopardize support in his effort to become health secretary with at least one key Republican, Sen. Bill Cassidy. 

Cassidy (R-La.) finished the hearing with a monologue questioning whether RFK Jr. could harm President Trump’s legacy, and said he has not decided whether to support his confirmation.

During a hearing before the Senate health committee, Cassidy pressed Kennedy on the issue of whether vaccines cause autism. A gastroenterologist who specialized in liver disease, the senator started his hearing with a personal story about caring for an 18-year-old patient with acute liver failure due to hepatitis B. 

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