Health Care — Kennedy starts his Senate pitch

Presented by Children's Hospital Association — The former presidential candidate is among Trump's most controversial nominees

View Online Health Care Health Care PRESENTED BY  The Big Story  Kennedy starts Senate pitch  Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Trump's pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, is heading to Capitol Hill next week to shore up support ahead of his confirmation hearing next year.  © AP According to a source familiar, among Kennedy's planned meetings is one with GOP health staff on the Health, Education Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP). It's a customary precursor to his meeting with the panel's incoming chairman Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.).    Kennedy will also meet with Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), among others.     Kennedy will get a confirmation hearing in the HELP Committee, but the Finance Committee will hold the official vote. Many GOP senators have said they hadn't heard from Kennedy since his nomination and looked forward to speaking with him.    Kennedy is among Trump's most controversial nominees and presents a significant test of GOP loyalties. If every Democrat opposes him, Republicans can only lose three votes.     Kennedy, who ran for president as a Democrat last year before switching to an independent and later dropping out and endorsing Trump, is a prominent environmental lawyer and vaccine skeptic who has promoted the debunked theory that vaccines cause autism.    He is likely to face intense questions about vaccines, public health and abortion, as well as his views on food and agriculture policy.   Part of Kennedy's Make America Healthy Again movement focuses on chronic illness over infectious diseases and fights against chemicals and additives in food. Kennedy also said he wants to eliminate fluoride from the nation's water supply.    Kennedy founded and continued to be paid by Children's Health Defense, one of the most prominent anti-vaccine groups. Welcome to The Hill's Health Care newsletter, we're Nathaniel Weixel, Joseph Choi and Alejandra O'connell-Domenech — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads  How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: McDonald's customer who spotted Luigi Mangione details encounter A McDonald’s customer who spotted Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old man suspected of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week, described the moment when he saw the suspect in the restaurant Monday. The man, identified only as Larry, told Fox News that he was with a group of friends in the McDonald’s in Altoona, Pa., when one of them pointed out Mangione. "One of my friends — and I thought he was kidding …  Full Story CEO shooting suspect shouts at press outside courthouse  Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO, shouted at the news media right outside of a courthouse in Pennsylvania as police officers ushered him inside for an extradition proceeding.  Mangione, 26, yelled “completely out of touch” and “an insult to the intelligence of the American people” as law enforcement officers corralled him against the wall of the Blair County Courthouse …  Full Story Health panel recommends self-testing option for cervical cancer screening Women and people with cervixes should have the option to use a self-swab human papillomavirus (HPV) test as part of a cervical cancer screen, the United States Preventative Services Task Force said in a draft recommendation Tuesday.   "Studies show this option is just as accurate as when the HPV sample is collected by a clinician, and it is proven to increase screening, especially among groups who are traditionally under screened," …  Full Story In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill: McConnell receives medical attention after falling Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) received medical attention after falling following a Republican lunch meeting Tuesday. A spokesman for McConnell said the GOP leader tripped after the lunch.  Full Story A MESSAGE FROM CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION Children's hospitals make more moments possible.  First smiles, first steps, first words, first dances. Children's hospitals provide advanced, specialized care to children and teens, making every remarkable milestone and precious moment possible. Learn more. Around the Nation  Local and state headlines on health care: How Iowa governor Kim Reynolds spending the state's federal COVID-19 funding (the Des Moines Register)  California official comes out of retirement to lead troubled mental health commission (KFF Health News)  Idaho's abortion ban and emergency care fight returns to federal court (CNN)  What We're Reading  Health news we've flagged from other outlets: The pharma industry isn't lobbying against RFK Jr.'s nomination for a top health role (Stat)  Cancer treatments jump among young adults (Axios)  Some 8 percent of Americans didn't have health insurance in 2023 (The Washington Post)  What Others are Reading  Most read stories on The Hill right now: Susan Wild absent from Ethics Committee meeting after Gaetz leaks to press Rep. Susan Wild (Pa.), the top Democrat on the House Ethics Committee, was absent from the panel's meeting last week after being traced as the source … Read more Bragg lays out alternatives to dismissing Trump's hush money conviction Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's (D) office opposes dismissing President-elect Trump's hush money charges but would accept halting the proceedings … Read more   You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!  Check out The Hill's Health Care page for the latest coverage. Like this newsletter? Take a moment to view our other topical products here 📩 Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  400 N Capitol Street NW Suite 650, Washington, DC 20001 Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

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