Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended his prior public statements on a range of health policy issues in a fiery confirmation hearing Wednesday.
The hearing juxtaposed a grilling from senators behind the dais and vocal supporters in the audience and in the hallway outside.
The contrast exposed a difference between how Washington, D.C., typically assesses nominees to lead the Department of Health and Human Services — a lack of controversial public statements and intricate policy knowledge — and why many in the “Make America Healthy Again” movement value Kennedy’s nomination. Kennedy supporters like his sweeping vision for change in American food and medicines and desire to challenge the status quo.
For instance, Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada asked Kennedy about the details of a law regulating hospitals that accept Medicare payments called the Emergency Medical…
