Summary
- Republican
senators surprised by RFK Jr.’s recent public remarks. - Remarks
linked acetaminophen, autism, and circumcision controversially. - RFK
Jr. was confirmed as HHS secretary in a 52-48 Senate vote.
Kennedy, a longtime supporter of the erroneous belief that
vaccines cause autism, veered off topic Thursday during a cabinet meeting about
the causes of autism.
In particular, he described how he came across a TikTok
video showing a pregnant woman “gobbling Tylenol.” Despite the fact
that the fetus develops in the uterus, Kennedy said that the woman took Tylenol
“with a baby in her placenta.” Kennedy added that the prevalence of
autism is doubled in circumcised infant boys.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), meanwhile, who supported
Kennedy’s confirmation on the Senate floor and in the Senate Health, Education,
Labor and Pensions Committee, said he was perplexed.
“I want doctors to be doctors,”
he said.
“I want scientists
to be scientists. If there’s scientific evidence present that. That not
interested in a non-practicing physician or scientist’s personal opinion.”
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) also seemed confused when
asked about it. Despite her objections to mant of Kennedy’s views, Murkowski
voted to refer Kennedy’s nomination out of committee and on the Senate floor.
“You’re giving me new news now with your second question, so
I have not seen that yet,”
Murkowski said.
“Well, the Tylenol, I have question[s], and I’ve said that,”
she said.
“In terms of what you’ve just referenced, in regards to circumcision,
this is all brand new to me, so I guess I’m going to go read what you guys have
reported.”
Sen. Bill Cassidy, the HELP Committee chairman and a doctor
who supported
Kennedy’s confirmation despite his disapproval of Kennedy’s autism beliefs, was
contacted by The Independent.
Kennedy and Trump have stated their desire to identify the
underlying causes of the “autism epidemic.” The majority of studies,
including those from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, attribute
the rise in autism diagnoses over the past 35 years to increased detection,
especially for girls, children from lower-income families, Black children, and
other ethnic minority groups.
Trump and Kennedy said last month that they had discovered a
connection between autism and pregnant women who took acetaminophen, the
technical name for Tylenol. However, they did not explicitly state that using
over-the-counter medications was the cause.
But Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), a member of the HELP
Committee and a sharp critic of Kennedy, said Kennedy’s bizarre and unfounded
claims are no laughing matter.
“We’re talking about whether or not parents can rely on the
information provided by the Secretary of Health and Human Services,” she said.
“
It’s really not funny. This whole thing is dangerous. People will get sick
and die based on it. And I think it’s horrible.”
Kennedy has faced criticism for a number of his actions
since taking over the department, including dismissing all of the Advisory
Committee on Immunization Practices’ members. Additionally, the group advised
against giving young children the combined measles and chickenpox vaccine.
Kennedy dismissed Susan Monarez as CDC director, and she
testified before the Senate HELP Committee last month. Even Republican senators
have criticized Kennedy for his behavior.
Which Republican senators defended Kennedy after his
acetaminophen remarks?
Cassidy, who is a physician and chair of the Senate Health
Committee, was critical in the confirmation of Kennedy. Cassidy pressed Kennedy
hard on all the vaccine questions but he also indicated support for his reform
agenda as well.
Johnson, a someone who was an ally of the Trump
administration as well as supportive of Kennedy’s plans to reform the health
agencies, described the Senate’s often aggressive questioning of Kennedy as
“abuse” and supported Kennedy’s plans for health agencies.
While there are many Republicans who have concerns or are
baffled by Kennedy’s comments or public health policies, the Senators reflect
that there is a strong reform agenda that Kennedy has and that we should not
completely dismiss the points he has made.
