Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock had a contentious exchange with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during a Senate Finance Committee to gain insight on how he would lead if confirmed as Health Secretary. Kennedy is President Trump’s nominee to run the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Warnock grilled Kennedy’s extreme commentary in which he compared the CDC, which is based in Georgia, to a Nazi death camp.
After Kennedy initially claimed that he never made the comment, Warnock provided proof.
“Mr. Kennedy, you have compared the CDC’s work to Nazi death camps. You’ve compared it to sexual abusers in the Catholic Church. You’ve also said that many of them belong in jail,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “For me, those are disturbing characterizations of the CDC workers that I know, who are trying to keep the American public safe every single day.”
Kennedy initially denied his own words. But after Warnock read the transcript, Kennedy said he was “comparing the injury rate of our children to other atrocities. And any statement that I made has been interpreted that way, I don’t agree with that.”
Warnock also challenged Kennedy on Trump’s decision to gag the HHS and CDC. “Last week the White House gagged HHS and the CDC, preventing them from communicating all important public health information to anyone,” Warnock said. “Including our allies in the United States and global disease prevention. Do you agree with that action?”
Kennedy responded, “I was not consulted on it, but that’s pretty much standard operating procedure for the incoming administration.”
Warnock continued to press Kennedy about Trump’s decisions during his first week in office. “I don’t think what we’ve seen over the last several days is standard operation for a new administration,” Warnock said. “Last night members of the CDC, along with other federal employees were actually invited to resign. I actually got text messages from folks I know people who work for the CDC that do this important work who got that note. It’s really important because my experience is that when you send out that kind of note, the folks who resign are the folks who you least likely want to see resign.”
Kennedy responded by saying, “I agree the vast majority of the scientists and experts at CDC are patriots and government servants.”
Following the exchange, Warnock revealed on social media that he would vote against Kennedy leading the HHS.
Warnock wrote, “He wouldn’t commit to working to prevent health care premium spikes and didn’t denounce his conspiracy theories about the CDC, which employs thousands of Georgians. I won’t support a nominee whose policies hurt Georgians.”
