(The Center Square) – Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the controversial nominee for Health and Human Service secretary, denounced accusations that he is anti-vaccine, anti-abortion, or anti-industry.

During his first confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee, heated Democratic lawmakers sparred with Kennedy as he attempted to clarify past statements about vaccine safety and the impact of nutrition and pesticides on chronic disease rates.

“News reports have claimed that I am anti-vaccine or anti-industry. I am neither,” the environmental lawyer said. “I am pro-safety. I worked for years to raise awareness about the mercury and toxic chemicals in fish, and nobody called me anti-fish. And I believe that vaccines play a critical role in healthcare.”

He categorically denied ever saying that pesticides make children transgender, and he also denied having allegedly spread measles vaccine misinformation in Samoa in 2019.

“I support the measles vaccine. I support the polio vaccine. I will do nothing as HHS secretary that makes it difficult or discourages people from taking either of those vaccines,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy did not, however, back down from his stance that the COVID-19 vaccine was inappropriate for healthy children. Some of his statements about COVID-19 and the vaccine have been proven correct, including that the virus likely originated in a virology lab in Wuhan and that the COVID vaccines did not prevent infection or transmission.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., demanded that Kennedy not only recant absolutely everything he has said about vaccines, but only publicly state that he supports vaccine mandates “when it keeps people safe.”

Whitehouse has received tens of thousands of political donations from health organizations in 2024 alone, including $3,000 from the American Medical Association and $2,500 from the American Hospital Association, The Center Square exclusively reported.

Other senators, both Democratic and Republican, expressed doubts about the nominee’s ability to do the job, given his lack of government experience. The Secretary of Health and Human Services oversees the nation's largest healthcare programs, such as Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP.

Kennedy stumbled over his answer and seemed uncertain on specifics when Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., a doctor, asked how he planned to improve Medicaid and Medicare.

He was adamant, though, that reforms are necessary, particularly given the cost of healthcare in the United States and the growing numbers of sick Americans.

“The United States has worse health than any other developed nation, yet we spend more on healthcare – at least double, and in some cases triple – as other countries. Last year we spent $4.8 trillion,” he said. “That’s almost a fifth of GDP. It’s tantamount to a 20% tax on the entire economy.”

Instead of asking who should pay for the healthcare system, the real question is to ask why healthcare costs are so high in the first place, Kennedy said.

“Why are healthcare costs so high in the first place? The obvious answer is chronic disease,” he said. “The CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] says 90% of healthcare spending goes toward managing chronic diseases, which hits lower income Americans the hardest.”

As of 2024, roughly 60% of Americans have at least one chronic disease and 40% have two or more, according to CDC data.

To begin tackling the problem, Kennedy suggested nutrition reforms, such as scrutinizing food additives, providing healthy food options to those on SNAP benefits, and removing the agriculture lobby's influence on the FDA's nutrition department.

However, he promised to work with the Department of Agriculture and all invested stakeholders implementing policies that may impact the food supply or the livelihoods of farmers.

“I don’t want to take food away from anybody. If you like a cheeseburger and a diet coke, which my boss loves, you should be able to get them,” he added. “But you should know what the impacts are on your family and on your health.”

Kennedy had emphasized health and the environment as a major part of his 2024 presidential campaign, where he switched from being a Democrat to an Independent before dropping out and endorsing President Donald Trump.

While he describes himself as supporting legalized abortion – something Democratic senators acknowledged in the hearing – Kennedy also said he believes “every abortion is a tragedy.” He said he agreed with the president’s view that abortion laws should be left up to the states and that medical providers with conscientious objections should be exempt from performing abortions.

“I came from a family that was split on life and choice,” he added. “We need to welcome diversity in this country, we need to respect diversity, and we need to respect each other when we have different opinions and not force our opinions on other people.”

If confirmed as secretary, Kennedy said will bring that mindset to the HHS.

“In my advocacy, I’ve often disturbed the status quo by asking uncomfortable questions. Well, I’m not going to apologize for that. We have massive health problems in this country that we must face honestly,” Kennedy said. “My approach to HHS is radical transparency.”