House Republicans applaud Trump’s picking Kennedy to lead HHS — with a few concerns

(WASHINGTON) — House Republicans had mixed reactions to President-elect Donald Trump’s announcement that he would nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be secretary of Health and Human Services in his administration.

Kennedy has been an anti-vaccine activist and founded the Children’s Health Defense, a prominent anti-vaccine nonprofit that has campaigned against immunizations and other public health measures like water fluoridation. Medical experts expressed concerns about a rise in medical misinformation through Kennedy’s candidacy.

HHS oversees major health agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, among others.

Rep. John Duarte, R-Calif., raised concerns about the pick, saying, “Well, all my kids are vaccinated and I hope he’s not going to move against one of the most life-saving technologies in the history of the world.”

Asked if Kennedy was the right choice, Duarte responded, “I don’t know.”

“I’d like to see more of his opinions and more of his thoughts in different matters, but the anti-vaccine mantra scares me a lot,” he said.

There was no immediate reaction from senators, who would vote on Kennedy’s nomination.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise didn’t clearly answer a question about his reaction to the selection of Kennedy, noting only that Trump was moving “fast” with his nominations.

“Clearly President Trump is moving fast to get as many people appointed as possible. It shows he’s carried through on the mandate the voters just gave him. To lay out his cabinet. To get to work,” Scalise said.

Scalise evaded a question about his position on the vaccine misinformation that Kennedy has espoused: “Ultimately, President Trump’s agenda….” Scalise pivoted.

Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, laughed when asked for an opinion, saying “It’s the president’s prerogative. I am not a senator.”

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, called the news “fantastic.”

“Robert’s a friend now for a few years, we’ve been talking a lot,” Roy said.

Roy said there’s a need to be “disrupting the corruption” in federal health agencies, which he expects Kennedy to accomplish.

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., celebrated the news: “Oh my gosh, I’m so excited.”

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., called Kennedy’s selection a “great pick.”

“Good pick on the president’s part, as all of them have been, and he’ll do a good job,” Norman said. “People say, ‘Well, he’s a Democrat.’ Look, he’s got an interest, he’s got an interest, a passion for the medical field. He’ll do a good job in it.”

Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-SD, took a more moderate position on the selection of Kennedy.

“I don’t mind disrupting. I mean, clearly, I think sometimes these big agencies get into some group think and I think it’s perfectly healthy to have some conventional wisdom challenged. Clearly, the Senate’s going to want to understand what is his vision for the agency,” Johnson said, adding that he wants to understand more about where Kennedy’s “scientific background is.”

Asked if he trusted Kennedy on public health, Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn. said “absolutely,” adding that “I think we need to broaden our horizons a little bit.”