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RFK Jr pressed by Democratic senators on issues like government-run healthcare, abortion

President Trump’s nominees for Health secretary, Commerce secretary, and Small Business Administration administrator are testifying before Senate committees, while Pam Bondi, Trump's choice for attorney general, is on track for a Senate confirmation vote in the coming weeks.

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Six people arrested for disrupting RFK Jr hearing, U.S. Capitol Police say

U.S. Capitol Police confirmed to Fox News' Chad Pergram that six people were arrested in connection with disrupting the Senate finance committee's confirmation hearing for HHS Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Authorities said that those arrested violated federal code § 22-1307, which prohibits "crowding, obstructing, or incommoding" public spaces. The law is often used to address situations where protesters are obstructing others movement on federal property.

Posted by Alec Schemmel

Sparks flew as a cohort of President Donald Trump's executive branch nominees hit Capitol Hill in a series of confirmation hearings Wednesday.

First up was the Senate Finance Committee's questioning of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump's nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services. During the heated confirmation hearing, Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., told the Trump nominee that he frightens people, specifically referring to his stance on vaccines. Meanwhile, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., argued that "the receipts show" that Kennedy embraces anti-vaccine "quacks" and "charlatans." The hearing also experienced disruptions from protesters, six of whom were ultimately arrested.

Confirmation hearings for Howard Lutnick, Trump's longtime friend, who he picked to head the Department of Commerce, and Kelly Loeffler, who is being considered to lead the Small Business Administration (SBA), also took place Wednesday.

Things got testy at Loeffler's hearing when Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., tried to argue that President Trump's federal spending freeze was unlawful. "These were not illegal actions," Loeffler told Markey.

In response, Markey asked Loeffler if she would oblige "illegal or unconstitutional" demands from the president, to which Loeffler replied that such requests wouldn't even happen. "The president is not going to ask me to do that," Loeffler shot back. "I'm not going to create a hypothetical situation here."

Posted by Alec Schemmel

Loeffler promises to 'restore integrity' to disaster relief

Trump nominee Kelly Loeffler promised she would "restore integrity" to disaster relief efforts at the Small Business Administration (SBA).

“I think Americans were stunned by the polarization of hurricane response under FEMA where they refused to go to homes with Trump supporting signs in their yards. Americans want to see an end to that. We should not be politicizing disaster response. I think that’s something we have to restore confidence in.”

A Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) official was removed from a role after directing disaster relief workers to skip homes "advertising" support for President-elect Trump after the devastating hurricanes in Florida after Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The SBA doles out low-interest loans to homeowners and renters in a declared major disaster area, regardless of whether they own a business.

Posted by Morgan Phillips

Trump SBA pick Kelly Loeffler defends president's federal funding freeze during confirmation hearing

Kelly Loeffler, President Donald Trump's pick to lead the government's Small Business Administration, clapped back at Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., during her confirmation hearing Wednesday, after the senator argued the president's actions were "unlawful."

"The money was certainly -- with regard to the agencies -- discretionary in many cases. But I fully agree with President Trump's decision to stop wasteful spending," Loeffler said. "He specifically, and the OMB, called out programs related to illegal DEI programs and programs that effectively linked to the Green New Deal that picks winners and losers, so I think Americans breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the waste, fraud and abuse is going to get out of this government."

Markey responded to Loeffler's defense of President Trump by asking her whether she would oblige the president's directives if they were "illegal or unconstitutional" in her role as SBA administrator.

"The president is not going to ask me to do that," Loeffler shot back. "I'm not going to create a hypothetical situation here. I will faithfully uphold the law and President Trump is fighting for Americans."

Posted by Alec Schemmel

President Donald Trump's selection to run the federal government's Small Business Administration (SBA), Kelly Loeffler, has said that "small business" is in her "DNA."

Loeffler is a former U.S. senator from Georgia and successful entrepreneur with a net worth of around $1 billion. Loeffler, a venture capitalist with success building start up businesses from the ground up, has also worked at major corporations like Toyota Motor Sales USA, Citigroup and William Blair. For 10 years, she also co-owned the WNBA's Atlanta Dream.

In 2019, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp appointed Loeffler to fill the state's open Senate seat at the time. However, when Loeffler ran for reelection the following year she lost in a runoff to Democrat Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga.

In her opening statement to the Senate’s Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, Loeffler touted her Midwestern upbringing and how it has prepared her "for a lifetime of starting and growing businesses."

If confirmed by the Senate, Loeffler has pledged to donate her annual salary of roughly $207,500 to charity.

Fox Business' Greg Wehner contributed to this report.

Posted by Alec Schemmel

Hirono asks Loeffler if she's ever been accused of sexual assault: 'No, senator'

During her Senate confirmation hearing, Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii asked Kelly Loeffler if she's ever been accused of sexual assault.

"I asked the following two initial questions of all nominees who come before any of my committees. So I'll ask you, since you became a legal adult, have you ever made unwanted requests for sexual favors or committed any verbal or physical harassment or assault of a sexual nature?" the Democrat asked.

"No, senator," Loeffler responded.

"Have you ever faced discipline or entered into a settlement relating to this kind of conduct?" Hirono asked.

"No, senator."

Posted by Morgan Phillips

Lee Zeldin confirmed to lead Trump's Environmental Protection Agency

The Senate voted on Wednesday to confirm former Rep. Lee Zeldin to head the government's leading agency on environmental rules and regulations. The vote went largely along party lines, with only three Democrats voting in favor of Zeldin. The final tally was 56-42.

President Donald Trump tapped Zeldin, who previously served as a congressman from New York's 1st Congressional District from 2015 to 2023, to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under his administration. During his tenure in Congress, Zeldin, an Army Reserve lieutenant colonel, launched a campaign for governor in New York, but ultimately lost to incumbent Democrat Governor Kathy Hochul.

Zeldin will head the agency that surveys environmental issues, provides assistance to wide-ranging environmental projects, and establishes rules that align with the administration's views on environmental protection and climate change. 

Posted by Alec Schemmel

Nationwide group of former G-Men tells Senate to confirm Kash Patel

A nationwide group of former Federal Bureau of Investigation agents has sent a letter to Senate leadership in support of Trump FBI Director nominee Kash Patel making the case that the bureau is "broken" and in desperate need of a new direction. 

"As a group of retired FBI Special Agents and former Intelligence Analysts from across the country dedicated to restoring public trust in the FBI and returning the FBI to its original mission, we support President Trump’s nomination of Kash Patel as the FBI’s next Director," the letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, signed by over 50 former and retired FBI agents from Reform The Bureau said.

The letter was sent to Republican Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Dick Durbin, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

"Many Americans have lost faith in the FBI, and for good reason," the letter explains. "The FBI is broken. And with this loss of trust has come a rise in threats at home and abroad. Drug cartels and Mexican gangs have taken control of the border and have infiltrated cities across the country bringing violent crime and drugs with them. At the same time, China has grown more brazen, engaging in espionage that robs U.S. businesses of their intellectual property and undermines our national security."

Excerpted from Fox News Digital's Andrew Mark Miller.

Posted by Charles Creitz

Kelly Loeffler celebrates Trump's return to work policy

Sen. Kelly Loeffler said she was going to get the Small Business Administration "back to work" after President Donald Trump issued an executive order requiring federal employees work five days per week in the office.

 "We are gonna get this agency back to work," said Loeffler. "We are gonna make sure we have people committed to the success of small businesses."

The Trump team had argued that only 6% of federal employees were working five days per week in the office since the Covid-19 pandemic. The Trump team offered any federal employees who wish to leave before Feb. 6 instead of returning to work severance for seven months.

Posted by Morgan Phillips

Sean Duffy sworn in as 20th Secretary of Transportation

Vice President JD Vance swore-in former Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., as the nation's 20th secretary of transportation.

The position, created by President Lyndon Johnson in 1967, was inaugurally held by federal aeronautics official Alan Stephenson Boyd and last occupied by Pete Buttigieg.

In brief remarks following his swearing in, Duffy pledged to usher in the "golden age of transportation" in the U.S. and "make sure our infrastructure actually works for the American people and the American family."

Other notable USDOT chiefs including former Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C. -- the wife of 1996 GOP presidential nominee Bob Dole -- as well as Andy Card, whose image was later indelibly left on history on September 11, 2001 when he leaned into President George W. Bush's ear during a school assembly to inform him that the Twin Towers had been attacked.

During his previous term, President Donald Trump nominated Elaine Chao, the wife of Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to the position.

Posted by Charles Creitz

Kelly Loeffler hearing begins at Small Business Committee

The confirmation hearing for Kelly Loeffler kicked off before the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee.

Loeffler, the former Georgia senator wealthy businesswoman, has been tapped to lead an agency that is meant to provide capital, contracting resources and education to small business owners.

“Throughout your distinguished career, you’ve risen through the ranks at multiple companies due to your determination and grit, and you have started many successful businesses yourself. Most importantly, you understand what it means to be overrun by Washington’s bureaucratic overreach and that government must instead get out of businesses’ way so they can thrive,” Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, chair of the committee, said in her opening remarks.

Posted by Morgan Phillips

Ranking member of the Senate Committee on Finance, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said during the committee's hearing on RFK Jr.'s nomination to be Health and Human Services Secretary that "the receipts show" the HHS nominee embraces anti-vaccine "quacks" and "charlatans."

"Committee staff have examined thousands of pages of statements, books and podcast transcripts in a review of his record. The receipts show Kennedy has embraced quacks, charlatans, especially when it comes to the safety and efficacy of vaccines," said Wyden. "He has made it his life's work to sow doubt and discourage parents from getting their kids lifesaving vaccines. It has been lucrative for him, and put him on the verge of immense power. This is the profile of someone who chases money and influence wherever they lead, even if that may mean the tragic deaths of children and other vulnerable people."

Posted by Alec Schemmel

RFK Jr pledges to consult with farmers before imposing any policy that may impact their livelihoods

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sought to quell concerns that his "Make America Healthy Again" agenda could negatively impact farmers, telling Montana GOP Sen. Steve Daines that he would commit to consulting with farmers before implementing any policy that my impact the agriculture industry.

"I understand the very, very narrow margins -- the slim margins that American farmers and ranchers are dealing with and I don't want, under my watch, a single farmer to have to leave his farm for economic reasons, or for regulatory or bureaucratic reasons while I serve, if I'm privileged to serve to be confirmed as HHS Secretary," Kennedy told the senator. "Even more important, President Trump had a very strong commitment to farmers. President Trump was -- is probably historically in modern history the best farm president in our history."

Kennedy noted that Trump has "specifically" instructed him to ensure farmers are "involved in every policy" he may implement, and to work collaboratively with leaders at the USDA to ensure "all of our policies support [farmers]."

Posted by Alec Schemmel

Senate votes to advance Lee Zeldin's bid to be next EPA chief

Former GOP Congressman from New York, Lee Zeldin, received enough votes Wednesday from senators in his bid to be the next head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), advancing him to a final floor vote expected for later this afternoon.

Three Democrats, Sens. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz, and John Fetterman, D-Penn., joined Republicans to advance Zeldin. The final vote tally was 56-42.

A final vote to confirm Zeldin is planned for Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.

Posted by Alec Schemmel

Trump: Federal workers who don't show up will 'be terminated'

President Donald Trump offered public remarks on the federal workforce and California fires prior to signing the Laken Riley Act into law.

Addressing new requirements for federal workers to work from the office, Trump said public employees may be fired if they don't follow such rules.

"[I]t's unfair to the millions of people in the United States who are, in fact, working hard from jobsites and not from their home. As federal employees, they must meet a high standard," Trump said.

"They're representing our government. They are representing our country. If they don't agree by February 6 to show up back to work in their office, they will be terminated and we will therefore be down scaling our government -- which is something that the last ten presidents have tried very hard to do but failed."

Posted by Charles Creitz

Outgoing Canadian PM Justin Trudeau's half-brother hits Capitol Hill to support RFK Jr

Kyle Kemper, half-brother to outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, was present at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday during Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s confirmation hearing in front of the Senate finance committee.

"Bobby 'The Remedy' Kennedy has arrived in Washington. The blue rhythmic storm," Kemper said in a video from the U.S. Capitol posted to his X account. Also in the video was political commentator and blogger Jessica Reed Kraus.

"Are we going to go on tour to primary all the Senators that fight against us?" Kemper, who was donning a green "Make America Healthy Again" hat, asked Kraus.

"Obviously," Kraus responded.

"I think so," added Kemper.

Posted by Alec Schemmel

‘He’s doing great’: Senator Daines says of RFK Jr

Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., said that President Donald Trump's Health and Human Services nominee, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is holding his own at a confirmation hearing Wednesday.

“He’s doing great,” Daines told Fox News Digital.

Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee have grilled Kennedy on a series of issues, including his stance on vaccines, during the confirmation hearing.

Posted by Diana Stancy

RFK Jr. grilled over his views on anti-depressants

Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., probed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about his views on anti-depressants during his confirmation hearing Wednesday.

"Do you believe, as you've said, that anti-depressants cause school shootings?" Sen. Smith asked the HHS Secretary nominee, citing public comments he made in 2023 and 2024.

"I don't think anybody could answer that question and I didn't answer that question, I said it should be studied along with other potential culprits, like social media, like -- but I don't know, I would never make -- because there is no science on that senator."

But Sen. Smith argued there was scientific evidence showing "no link between school shootings and anti-depressants," adding that "in fact most school shooters were not even treated with anti-depressants and of those that were there was no evidence of association."

Kennedy shot back, however. "I don't think you can say that senator, because of HIPPA rules nobody knows," he responded before Sen. Smith lobbed another question at him.

"Mr. Kennedy do you think people who take anti-depressants are dangerous?"

Posted by Alec Schemmel

'What a jacka--': Conservatives hammer Dem senator's 'droning monologue' during RFK Jr hearing

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., was blasted by conservatives on social media on Wednesday over his contentious line of questioning toward President Donald Trump’s Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary nominee, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

"Frankly, you frighten people," Whitehouse told Kennedy while seemingly linking Kennedy's skepticism of some vaccines to the first case of measles in Rhode Island since 2013. 

Whitehouse, who attended law school with Kennedy where the two were friends, used the majority of his time to list concerns about Kennedy, allowing the HHS hopeful a small window at the end to address the line of questioning.

Whitehouse’s comments quickly drew criticism from conservatives on social media. 

"Sen. Whitehouse (D-RI) beginning his confirmation ‘questioning’ of RFK Jr. by saying ‘I'm very experienced, so you're just going to have to listen,’ then talking for 7 minutes nonstop is such a perfect picture of why Democrats are failing around the nation right now," Daily Signal columnist Tony Kinnett posted on X. 

"You know what would be good?" columnist John Podhortez posted on X. "Sheldon Whitehouse going away forever to an island. And not Rhode Island, which isn't an island. More like St. Helena."

"What a jacka--," Twitchy.com editor Samantha Janney posted on X. "RFK Jr. should ask Sheldon about his membership at multiple whites-only clubs."

This is an excerpt from a story by Fox News' Andrew Mark Miller.

Posted by Fox News Staff

SBA pick Loeffler to burnish working-class roots, entrepreneurial successes in hearing

Former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler of Georgia, President Donald Trump’s pick for Small Business Administration (SBA) administrator, plans to go before the Senate’s Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee on Wednesday, when she plans to speak about Trump’s vision for the country, as well as what qualifies her for the job.

In a copy of her written remarks obtained by FOX Business, Loeffler speaks about her roots growing up as the fourth generation on her family’s farm in Illinois, adding that "small business" is in her "DNA."

"My wonderful parents, Don and Lynda, didn’t have degrees, but they had faith and grit," she wrote.

"They worked relentlessly to sustain our farm and small trucking company – risking everything to provide for us while navigating volatile commodity markets and complex regulations and facing countless day-to-day challenges.

"It’s where my Midwestern work ethic was ingrained, working in our soybean fields and waiting tables at local restaurants – preparing me for a lifetime of starting and growing businesses," she continued.

Excerpted from Fox Business' Greg Wehner

"I became the first in my family to graduate college and later earned my MBA."

After college, Loeffler helped grow a startup into a Fortune 500 company, and for 10 years, she co-owned the Atlanta Dream of the WNBA.

She also wrote that she launched a financial technology company, Bakkt, as the founding CEO and first employee.

Later in her statement, Loeffler talks about how she plans to leverage her decades of business experience to champion America’s entrepreneurs.  

Posted by Charles Creitz

'Curb' star Cheryl Hines praised for staunch support of husband RFK Jr.

Cheryl Hines, the actress best known for her starring role in "Curb Your Enthusiasm," traveled to Washington Wednesday to support her husband, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as he testified in his confirmation hearing to head up the Department of Health and Human Services.

Members of the Senate Finance Committee spent the morning sharply questioning RFK Jr. over his views on abortion, vaccines, and other healthcare issues.

But Hines, for her part, appeared unfazed by the heated debate. She arrived to the Capitol arm-in-arm with her husband before taking a seat directly behind her husband as the confirmation hearing began.

The morning portion of the hearing saw RFK Jr. facing tough questions over his past writings and comments, including his previous remarks on vaccines, COVID-19, U.S. diets, and AIDS. (The committee will reconvene after lunch.)

Hines, for her part, could be seen sitting behind her husband, watching intently as he attempted to answer tough questions from lawmakers and reckon with his past remarks.

Her appearance was praised on social media, including by Rob Smith— a Turning Point USA influencer and decorated Iraq War veteran.

"Liberal Hollywood tried to destroy actress Cheryl Hines when her husband RFK decided to run for President and again when he decided to throw his hat in the ring for HHS Secretary," Smith said on X. "She stood by him then, and she beams behind him now. Respect."

Hines and RFK Jr. were married in 2014, after being introduced by Hines's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" co-star, Larry David.

Posted by Breanne Deppisch

RFK Jr tells lawmakers ‘every abortion is a tragedy’

President Donald Trump's Health and Human Services nominee, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., told lawmakers Wednesday that “every abortion is a tragedy.” 

“I agree with President Trump that every abortion is a tragedy,” Kennedy said before the Senate Finance Committee for his confirmation hearing. “I agree with him that we cannot be a moral nation if we have 1.2 million abortions a year. I agree with him that the states should control abortion. President Trump has told me that he wants to end late-term abortions, and he wants to protect conscious exemptions.” 

Kennedy has previously made comments supporting legal abortions throughout an entire pregnancy.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 625,978 abortions in 2021. 

Trump has said on multiple occasions that he supports abortion in certain instances, and said that “powerful exceptions” for abortion would remain in place under his administration.

Posted by Diana Stancy

Sen. Warren slams RFK, Jr. over ability to make money on vaccine lawsuits

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-MA on RFK Jr.'s nomination:

"As secretary of HHS, he can make those lawsuits [against vaccine manufacturers] a whole lot more profitable."

"In fact, he may have the opportunity to bankrupt the vaccine manufacturers and then nobody gets vaccine"

[Reporter: "Are you worried that he's in the position to serve his own interests?"]

"That is the problem," Warren said.

Posted by Charles Creitz

Bernie Sanders blasts RFK Jr. over anti-vaccine merch sold by nonprofit he used to work for

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., criticized HHS Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during his confirmation hearing Wednesday for what Sanders said was RFK Jr.'s portrayal during the hearing that he is pro-vaccine but skeptical, not anti-vaccine. To argue his point, Sanders brought to the hearing floor two blown up images of baby onesies that he claimed to be sold by the nonprofit Kennedy used to work for.

"Right now, as I understand it, on their website they are selling what's called onesies. These are little things -- clothing for babies. One of them is titled, 'Unvaxxed, Unafraid.' They're sold for $26 a piece by the way. Next one is, 'No Vax, No Problem,'" Sanders told Kennedy. "Now you're coming before this committee and you're saying you're pro-vaccine, and yet your organization is making money selling a child's product to parents for $26 which casts fundamental doubt on the usefulness of vaccines."

Posted by Alec Schemmel

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC speaks out on RFK Jr. hearing

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., on RFK Jr. hearing:

"I think that he has mirrored the behavior when appropriate on the Democrats' side trying to attack him. I think he got an opportunity. I asked about conspiracy theories -- I think on-the-whole he's actually done a very good job. There's a lot of pressure in that room. He's got another day to go through tomorrow before the Health Committee."

Posted by Charles Creitz

Sen. Warren gets into war of words with RFK Jr. over potential conflicts of interest

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and HHS Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. traded barbs after Warren implied that Kennedy could use his position as head of the nation's chief public health agency to benefit himself financially, particularly as it relates to suing drug manufacturers.

Warren asked Kennedy to commit to not collecting any funds from lawsuits against drug companies while he is HHS Secretary and for four years after his term ends. While Kennedy said he would follow any necessary ethics rules, and is potentially open to committing to not collecting monetary awards during his tenure as HHS Secretary, he insisted he would not pledge to refrain from suing drug companies altogether.

"The bottom line is the same, Kennedy can kill off access to vaccines and make millions of dollars while he does it," Warren said. "Kids might die, but Robert Kennedy can keep cashing in."

Posted by Alec Schemmel

Wyden's opening grilling of RFK Jr. ripped by doctors

Pro-life doctors are slamming Senate Finance Committee ranking member Ronald Wyden for declaring abortion pharmaceutical mifepristone is “safe.”

Doctors said Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, is missing evidence that mifepristone has caused infections in some women that have lead to death.

"Abortion drugs cause complications four times more often than surgical abortions and fail requiring surgery in at least 3-5% of cases, even when used as the FDA has directed," said Dr. Ingrid Skop, an OB-GYN and director at pro-life think tank Charlotte Lozier Institute. "The real issue? The abortion lobby pushing these unsupervised, dangerous drugs at women’s expense.”

The American Association of Pro-Life OBGYNs issued a “fact check,” ripping Wyden’s arguments against reinstating safeguards on the drug.

“The deaths of Amber Thurman and Candi Miller exemplify the tragic potential outcomes of leaving women to take it without adequate medical supervision."

Americans United for Life said mifepristone is putting women’s lives at risk.

“It's time for the FDA to prioritize safety over politics. Ron Wyden it's time to reinstate common-sense regulations today.” 

Fox News Digital's Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.

Posted by Charles Creitz

Lutnick says China 'stole' US tech to develop DeepSeek

Asked how he might be "vigilant" against intellectual theft by China, Howard Lutnick suggested the Chinese Communist Party had stolen intellectual property to develop artificial intelligence model DeepSeek.

"How could it be more clear than this week when DeepSeek, a Chinese AI, says they were able to create things dirt cheap," said Lutnick. "How? By leveraging what they've taken from us, stolen from us."

"It's outrageous, and it needs to be addressed."

DeepSeek’s release of a new high-profile AI model that costs less to run than existing models like those of Meta and OpenAI sent a chill through U.S. markets, with chipmaker Nvidia stocks tanking on Monday before slowly gaining ground again on Tuesday.

Microsoft and OpenAI are now reportedly investigating whether DeepSeek could have accessed and used their data to train its own Chinese model, Bloomberg News reported. 

Posted by Morgan Phillips

RFK Jr. invokes his prayer life during confirmation hearing: 'Every morning for the past 20-years'

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said during his confirmation hearing in front of the Senate finance committee Tuesday that he has prayed to God daily for the past 20-years in hopes he would be put in a position like the one he is on the cusp of being put in today.

"In my advocacy I've often disturbed the status quo by asking uncomfortable questions. Well, I'm not going to apologize for that," Kennedy said during his confirmation hearing in front of the Senate finance committee. "We have massive health problems in this country that we must face honestly. And the first thing I've done every morning for the past 20-years is to get on my knees and pray to God that he would put me in a position to end the chronic disease epidemic and help America's children."

"That's why I'm so grateful to President Trump for the opportunity to sit before you today to seek your support and partnership in this endeavor," he continued.

"I will conclude with a promise to members of this committee, to the president, and to all the tens-of-millions of parents across America — especially the moms — who have propelled this issue to center stage. Should I be so privileged as to be confirmed we will make sure our tax dollars support healthy foods, we will scrutinize the chemical additives in our food supply, we will remove financial conflicts of interests from our agencies, we will create an honest, unbiased, gold-standard science at HHS accountable to the president, to Congress and to the American people, we will reverse the chronic disease epidemic and put the nation back on the road to good health."

Posted by Alec Schemmel

Who is RFK Jr.'s wife, Cheryl Hines?

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s family was present at his confirmation hearing Wednesday in front of the Senate finance committee, including his wife, actress Cheryl Hines.

Hines is well known for her role as Cheryl David, the wife of Larry David on HBO's comedy series, "Curb Your Enthusiasm." She credits her co-star for introducing her to Kennedy, whom she married in 2014.

They celebrated their 10-year anniversary in August 2024, but according to PEOPLE Magazine, troubles in the marriage took hold the following month when Hines was seen in public without her wedding ring after it was revealed that Kennedy was carrying on a relationship with New York Magazine reporter Olivia Nuzzi.

Before her role on "Curb Your Enthusiasm," Hines worked different jobs in Hollywood, including as a personal assistant to actor and director Rob Reiner. Today, Hines runs an eco-friendly cosmetics business with her daughter called Hines + Young.

Hines also has been engaged in philanthropy, specifically for cerebral palsy research, and has combined her advocacy with her love of poker by playing in tournaments benefiting people suffering from the disease.

Hines was spotted during Wednesday's hearing by social media users sitting behind her husband and next to former NBC News and Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly. Kelly has previously defended Hines from backlash resulting from her support of her husband's political ambitions.

Posted by Alec Schemmel

Senator Whitehouse tells RFK Jr: ‘You frighten people’

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., told President Donald Trump's Health and Human Services nominee, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., that Kennedy scares people. 

“Frankly, you frighten people,” Whitehouse said during Kennedy’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday. 

Whitehouse’s comments came after he said that there was a measles outbreak in Rhode Island for the first time since 2013, amid a broader discussion about Kennedy’s stance on vaccines. 

Kennedy pushed back on "news reports" that he is anti-vaccine and anti-industry in his opening statements Wednesday, noting that all his children are vaccinated. He also has previously said that he isn't interested in taking "away anybody's vaccines."

Posted by Diana Stancy

Lutnick says stablecoins should be audited, backed by US treasuries

Howard Lutnick said in his confirmation hearing that U.S. dollar stablecoins, a form of cryptocurrency designed to maintain a stable value such as a nation's currency or a commodity, should "should be audited and completely backed by US treasuries."

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., has come after Lutnick for his ties to Tether, as his firm Cantor Fitzgerald holds most of the assets that back the dollar-pegged stable coin.

"Tether financed North Korean nuclear weapons programs and Russian arms companies. Lutnick and his company made millions," she wrote on X.

Lutnick in the hearing explained that Tether was the world's largest stablecoin and therefore was naturally used more often by criminals than others.

Tether allows traders to quickly transfer large amounts of funds across borders without converting to fiat currencies.

Crypto advocates warn that requiring issuers to back tokens with U.S. Treasury bonds would promote transparency and security, but may pose difficulty for currencies that can't comply with regulations.

Posted by Morgan Phillips

Bettors reportedly increasingly favor RFK Jr. being confirmed

Betting odds on whether Robert F. Kennedy Jr., will be confirmed by the Senate appeared to increase on Wednesday during his hearing, according to X users who posted screenshots of gambling programs.

Kennedy's odds sat at 75%, below FBI director nominee Kashyap Patel's 88% but above former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard's 50% odds of becoming the director of national intelligence.

Posted by Charles Creitz

RFK supporters question family outrage amid previous defenses of Ted Kennedy

X users questioned familial opposition to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s nomination to lead the Department of Health & Human Services during his hearing on Wednesday -- after his cousin Caroline Kennedy called him unfit for the role and a "predator"

One X user wondered aloud why the Kennedy family proverbially circled the wagons around the late Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy and his foibles, which notably included the Chappaquiddick Scandal.

Posted by Charles Creitz

Lutnick tears up as he recalls the deaths of his brother and rest of his financial firm on 9/11

Howard Lutnick recalled losing his mother at age 16 and his father at age 18 — tragedies that made him and his siblings "inseparable."

Then, his brother, Gary, and 657 of the Lutnick brothers' "friends" at their financial firm, Cantor Fitzgerald, were killed while working at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Howard Lutnick was spared as he was taking his son to kindergarten on that day.

"The company was located on the top five floors of the World Trade Center. I still can't say it without being emotional, sorry, but no one in the office survived," he said as his voice cracked and he appeared on the verge of tears.

Lutnick said he and his surviving employees decided on Sept.12, 2001, they would rebuild Cantor Fitzgerald to help out the families of their late colleagues, each agreeing to donate 25% to the families.

"Together, we raised $180 million over the next five years for those families," he said. "My employees, they stitched my soul back together."

When he took a division of the company public in 2008, Lutnick said he paid back those employees double what they gave to the families.

But Lutnick confirmed he would divest from Cantor Fitzgerald and his other business interests within 90 days of being confirmed.

"I made the decision that I've made enough money in my life," Lutnick said. "I can take care of myself. I can take care of my family. Is now my chance to serve the American people."

Posted by Morgan Phillips

Vance introduces Trump's longtime friend and pick to lead Commerce Department

Vice President JD Vance introduced his "good friend" Howard Lutnick to the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

"Howard is the kind of guy who developed innovative products," Vance said. "He has a number of patents to his name, something I didn't even know when I first got to know Howard, but I learned later. But he's also an incredible sales guy. This is a person who, on the world stage will say more and do more and convince businesses that America is back, that America is growing and thriving."

"I think that it's important to have the kind of person at at Commerce who can't just do the job, because Howard can certainly do the job, who hasn't just been wildly successful because, of course, Howard has been wildly successful, but is just a good dude, and Howard is a good dude. He will make us proud as our next Commerce secretary, but he makes me even prouder to call him a friend."

Posted by Morgan Phillips

Protestors erupt at RFK Jr confirmation hearing over vaccine views

Protestors erupted on several occasions at the confirmation hearing for President Donald Trump's Health and Human Services nominee, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday.

In once instance, Kennedy told lawmakers on the Senate Finance Committee Wednesday that he is not anti-vaccine, prompting protestors to become rowdy.

Kennedy pushed back on "news reports" that he is anti-vaccine and anti-industry in his opening statements Wednesday, noting that all his children are vaccinated. He also has previously said that he isn't interested in taking "away anybody's vaccines.

Posted by Diana Stancy

Trump's Commerce secretary nominee takes the hot seat in front of Senate Committee

A Senate Commerce Committee hearing on the nomination of U.S. businessman Howard Lutnick to lead the Commerce Department has begun.

Lutnick, a fundraiser and longtime friend of President Donald Trump, is a proponent of tariffs, and will oversee the agency that could be tasked with responding to artificial intelligence development in China after the rise of AI model DeepSeek.

Trump said on Monday he'd impose tariffs on semiconductors.

The billionaire businessman is set to face questions from Democrats surrounding his business dealings, according to Politico. Lutnick has pledged that he, his wife and his minor children would divest fro his core business interests if confirmed to the Cabinet role.

He'll also likely face questions on how AI should be regulated and his views on export controls -a popular tool with China hawks.

Posted by Morgan Phillips

RFK Jr. enters hearing room to cheers: "We Love You Bobby"

HHS nominee Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., entered his hearing room in the Dirksen Senate Office Building to catcalls and cheers.

"We love you, Bobby," some spectators cried.

The Democratic scion has soured with his party and has been embraced by many of the "MAGA" faithful.

Posted by Charles Creitz

Durbin blasts Trump, Bondi for attempts to politicize DOJ

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., on Wednesday said he has deep concerns over the ability of Pam Bondi, President Donald Trump's attorney general nominee, to stand up to the president in attempts to politicize the Justice Department.

Speaking shortly before the committee vote, Durbin outlined his concerns with Bondi's relationship with Trump, her lobbying experience and her work with Trump in the aftermath of the 2020 election.

Bondi, he said, has "echoed Trump's calls for exacting revenge on political opponents."

"She is one of four personal lawyers of President Trump that is already selected for top positions at the Department of Justice," Durbin said. "And she has echoed President Trump's calls for exacting revenge on political opponents."

Further, he said, "Bondi undermined our democracy by joining President Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election."

"As I said during this body's hearing, it is absolutely critical that any nominee for the position be committed first and foremost to the Constitution and the American people, not the president and his political agenda," Durbin said.

Bondi, for her part, used her confirmation hearing earlier in January to assuage concerns that she might use the role to go after Trump's so-called "enemies" or otherwise weaponize the Department of Justice. 

"If confirmed," Bondi continued, her tone turned serious, "I will fight every day to restore confidence and integrity to the Department of Justice and each of its components."

Her nomination, which cleared the committee by a party-line vote of 12–10, now heads to the full Senate for a vote.

Posted by Breanne Deppisch

RFK Jr's former VP candidate vows to fund primary challengers of Senators who vote against him

Nicole Shanahan, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s former running mate before he dropped his candidacy for president, vowed to "personally fund challengers to primary" Senators who vote against his confirmation to be the next Health and Human Services Secretary.   

"While Bobby may be willing to playing nice, I won't," Shanahan said in a video posted to Twitter Tuesday ahead of RFK Jr.'s hearings. "I will enlist hundreds-of-thousands to join me." 

Posted by Alec Schemmel

Trump AG pick Pam Bondi clears Judiciary Committee, will get confirmation vote in Senate

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to confirm Pam Bondi as U.S. attorney general, a widely expected vote that sends President Donald Trump’s nominee to the floor for a full vote.

Members of the committee voted along party lines, 12–10, to confirm Bondi.

The former Florida attorney general and Trump ally was widely expected to see a glide path to confirmation, with her experience as a prosecutor earning her praise of more than 110 former senior Justice Department officials and dozens of Democratic and Republican state attorneys general, who praised her experience and work across the party and state lines.

Those backers described Bondi in interviews and letters previewed exclusively to Fox News Digital as an experienced and motivated prosecutor whose record has proved to be more consensus-builder than bridge-burner. 

In her confirmation hearing earlier in January, Bondi stressed that, if confirmed to head up DOJ, the "partisanship, the weaponization will be gone. "America will have one tier of justice for all.”

She highlighted her record on fighting violent crime, drug trafficking and human trafficking as Florida's top prosecutor, and outlined her broader vision for heading up the Justice Department, where she stressed her desire to lead a department free from political influence.

If confirmed, Bondi's former colleagues have told Fox News Digital they expect her to bring the same playbook she used in Florida to Washington — this time with an eye to cracking down on drug trafficking, illicit fentanyl use and the cartels responsible for smuggling the drugs across the border.

Story excerpted from Fox News's Breanne Deppisch.

Posted by Breanne Deppisch

'Confirm RFK': Hundreds of supporters converge on Senate ahead of Democratic scion's hearing

Hundreds of supporters were seen lining the inside and outside of the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill, where Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was set to sit for his Health and Human Services confirmation hearing Wednesday morning.

Kennedy, a lifelong Democrat, became disillusioned with his party — and vice versa — in recent times, and endorsed President Donald Trump in 2024 after ending his own quixotic presidential bid.

Members of his family — including those who worked for former President Joe Biden's administration — opposed both his presidential bid and his potential role as Health and Human Services secretary.

Caroline Kennedy, the surviving child of former President John F. Kennedy, released a video via her son Jack Schlossberg's social media account on Tuesday that expressed why she feels "Bobby" is unfit for public service at this time.

Posted by Charles Creitz

Caroline Kennedy calls cousin RFK Jr. 'a predator,' urges senators not to confirm him

Caroline Kennedy, the only surviving child of President John F. Kennedy and a former U.S. ambassador, sent a letter to lawmakers urging them not to confirm her cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who she referred to as a "predator" and said was "unqualified" both professionally and personally to be the next Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).

"Throughout the past year people have asked for my thoughts about my cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr and his presidential campaign. I did not comment, not only because I was serving in a government position as United States Ambassador to Australia,  but because I have never wanted to speak publicly about my family members and their challenges," Caroline Kennedy said in a video posted online of her reading the letter. "But now that Bobby has been nominated by President Trump to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, a position that would put him in charge of the health of the American people, I feel an obligation to speak."

In addition to arguing her cousin lacked the relevant government, financial management and medical experience to fill the role of HHS Secretary, Caroline Kennedy said her cousin's personal qualities were also a disqualifying factor. In the letter, Caroline Kennedy called her cousin a "predator," arguing he has sought to exploit his family's tragedies for publicity and led his siblings and cousins down a path of addiction.

"It's no surprise that he keeps birds of prey as pets, because Bobby himself is a predator," she said. "I watched his younger brothers and cousins follow him down the path of drug addiction. His basement, his garage, his dorm room were always the center of the action — where drugs were available and he enjoyed showing off how he put baby chickens and mice in a blender to feed to his hawks."

Read more about Caroline Kennedy's letter by Alec Schemmel.

Posted by Alec Schemmel

'Back to basics': Pam Bondi would 'make America safe again' as AG, former colleague says

Former FBI Special Agent Nicole Parker, who worked hand-in-hand with President Donald Trump's pick for attorney general, said Pam Bondi is a "woman of integrity" who, if confirmed, would prosecute fairly and stick to the U.S. Constitution.

Parker told Fox News Digital that she worked with Bondi after the February 2018 Stoneman Douglas massacre in Parkland, Florida, which stole the lives of 17 students. She noted that Bondi's "tender heart" and boots-on-the-ground attitude assisted the community during the tragic mass shooting.

"At the time, Pam was serving as the attorney general, and I was an FBI Special Agent assigned to the Violent Crime Squad," she said. "And I was responding to that tragic, just absolutely heartbreaking incident, and Pam Bondi made her way down to South Florida as quickly as possible, and she was there for her constituents in this dark moment of need."

"What really inspired and touched me about Pam is that she has a very tender heart, and she has a lot of compassion, and she genuinely cares about the people that she serves," Parker said. "She has that very fine and delicate balance of being very tough and strong but also having a soul and having compassion and caring for the victims that she's helping."

Excerpted from earlier reporting by Fox News Digital's Sarah Rumpf-Whitten.

Posted by Fox News Staff

Dozens of former intel officials urge senators to confirm Tulsi Gabbard as DNI

Dozens of top former intelligence officials are urging members of the Senate to confirm President Donald Trump’s  nominee for director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, saying she will "begin undoing the gross politicization that has come to characterize intelligence bureaucracies," Fox News Digital first reported Tuesday. 

Former White House National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien, former Acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell, former Navy SEAL and member of the intelligence community Erik Prince and more than four dozen other former intelligence officials penned a letter to Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Vice Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital. 

"We, the undersigned former intelligence and national security officials, urge members of the United States Senate to confirm Tulsi Gabbard to serve as President Trump’s Director of National Intelligence," they wrote. "Her service as DNI will begin undoing the gross politicization that has come to characterize intelligence bureaucracies, which has been to the great detriment of the freedom and security of the United States and its citizens." 

Read more about Tulsi Gabbard by Brooke Singman.

Posted by Fox News Staff

RFK Jr.'s plan to combat addiction: 'wellness farms'

While President Donald Trump's Health and Human Services nominee, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has been scrutinized over his views on vaccines, farming, abortion and more, his perspective on treating one of the nation's foremost health crises has received far less attention.

Before joining Trump's team, Kennedy campaigned for president on a plan to treat addiction by creating "wellness farms" funded by tax revenues from federally legalized marijuana sales.

"I'm going to create these wellness farms where they can go and get off of illegal drugs, off of opiates, but also legal drugs," Kennedy said at a virtual event during his campaign, billed as a "Latino Town Hall." 

Kennedy himself struggled with addiction when he was younger, including to cocaine and heroin, which he has spoken about publicly. He has heralded his faith and commitment to Alcoholic's Anonymous's 12 step-program as his saving grace.

Kennedy is a strong proponent of clean living as well, and said that the addiction treatment wellness farms he imagines would also treat people who are trying to get off anti-depressants, or other medications like those for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Read more about RFK Jr. from Alec Schemmel.

Posted by Alec Schemmel

RFK Jr. likely to be confirmed as health secretary, Dr. Siegel says

The confirmation hearing to consider the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of Health and Human Services is expected to take place beginning Wednesday.

The highly anticipated hearing follows the introduction of the Make America Healthy Again movement — a campaign to revolutionize health in the country.

On "Fox & Friends" on Monday morning, Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel expressed his confidence in RFK’s confirmation being successful.

"He's right in the middle of a really important issue in this country, and it's why he's going to get in," Siegel predicted. 

"We are not healthy here. We are a sick society."

Posted by Fox News Staff

Nobel laureate letter opposing RFK Jr loaded with Dem donors, officials: 'Thinly veiled attempt'

A letter signed by 77 Nobel laureates opposing the confirmation of Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. being touted as a reason to oppose him is almost entirely composed of political donors, many of them who supported Democrat campaigns.

"In view of his record, placing Mr. Kennedy in charge of DHHS would put the public’s health in jeopardy and undermine America’s global leadership in the health sciences, in both the public and commercial sectors," more than 75 Nobel laureates wrote in an open letter published by the New York Times in December. 

A Fox News Digital review found that at least 60 of the signatories are political donors, mostly to Democratic campaigns, including Steven Chu, who served as former President Barack Obama’s secretary of Energy. Chu gave $5,400 to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in 2016. 

Nobel Medicine Laureate Joseph L. Goldstein, who also signed the letter, has donated tens of thousands of dollars to Democrats, including former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, former President Joe Biden and the Democrat-aligned SMP Super PAC.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Andrew Mark Miller

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

Trump HHS secretary nominee RFK Jr to stress he's not 'anti-vaccine' at confirmation hearing

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), will emphasize that he is not "anti-vaccine" when he appears Wednesday in Congress at the first of two straight days of Senate confirmation hearings.

"I want to make sure the Committee is clear about a few things," Kennedy will say in his opening statement in front of the Senate Finance Committee. "News reports have claimed that I am anti-vaccine or anti-industry. Well, I am neither; I am pro-safety."

The statement was shared first with Fox News ahead of the appearance by Kennedy, who, if confirmed, would have control of 18 powerful federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

And Kennedy will emphasize he's not "the enemy of food producers. American farms are the bedrock of our culture and national security … I want to work with our farmers and food producers to remove burdensome regulations and unleash American ingenuity."

The hearing, as well as a Thursday hearing in front of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (a courtesy hearing as only the Senate Finance Committee will vote on Kennedy's confirmation), are expected to be contentious because of Kennedy's controversial vaccine views, including his repeated claims linking vaccines to autism, which have been debunked by scientific research.

Kennedy also served for years as chair or chief legal counsel for Children's Health Defense, the nonprofit organization he founded that has advocated against vaccines and sued the federal government numerous times, including a challenge over the authorization of the COVID-19 vaccine for children.

After Trump's convincing November 2024 presidential election victory, Kennedy has said he won't "take away anybody's vaccines."

And in his opening statement at his confirmation hearing, Kennedy will spotlight that "all of my kids are vaccinated, and I believe vaccines have a critical role in healthcare."

But he will also say, "In my advocacy, I have disturbed the status quo by asking uncomfortable questions. Well, I won’t apologize for that. We have massive health problems in this country that we must face honestly."

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Paul Steinhauser

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

Trump Cabinet nominee Loeffler pledges to donate salary to charity if confirmed

Former Sen. Kelly Loeffler, President Donald Trump's nominee to serve as Small Business Administration (SBA) administrator, plans to donate her entire federal salary to charity, Fox News Digital first reported Tuesday.

Loeffler, a prominent business executive and philanthropist who served as a senator from Georgia for two years, goes in front of the Senate's Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee on Wednesday for her confirmation hearing.

If confirmed, Loeffler says she would donate her annual federal pay of approximately $207,500 to charity.

The pledge by Loeffler, whose net worth is estimated at roughly $1 billion, follows her actions in Congress from 2019 to 2021, when she donated her Senate salary of $174,000 per year to more than 40 Georgia charities and nonprofits. 

Among those included were food banks, faith groups and organizations opposed to abortion, foster care/adoption groups as well as organizations promoting health care, agriculture, education, law enforcement and disaster relief. 

Posted by Fox News Staff

Trump to sign Laken Riley Act into law in admin's first legislative win

President Donald Trump is expected to sign the Laken Riley Act into law at the White House on Wednesday in his administration's first legislative victory.

Trump has been in office for little more than a week, and he already has made a slew of executive actions, but Wednesday's bill signing will be the first victory for Republicans in Washington across the board.

The Laken Riley Act requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to detain illegal migrants accused of theft, and it allows for the deportation of migrants who harm others or assault police. It also allows states to sue the Department of Homeland Security for harm caused by illegal immigration.

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

RFK Jr. to declare war on 'chronic disease,' downplay anti-vaccine history in confirmation remarks

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will set his crosshairs on chronic disease during his opening statement before the Senate Finance Committee, according to a copy of his prepared remarks obtained by Fox News Digital.

"The CDC says 90% of healthcare spending goes toward managing chronic disease, which hits lower-income Americans the hardest. The President’s pledge is not “To Make Some Americans Healthy Again.” It’s all of us," RFK Jr. will say.

"There is no single culprit for chronic disease. Much as I have criticized certain industries and agencies, President Trump and I know that most of their scientists and experts genuinely care about Americans’ health. Therefore, we will bring together all stakeholders, in pursuit of this unifying goal," his remarks continue.

President Donald Trump has nominated RFK to serve as secretary of health and human services, and the nominee also plans to push back on his reputation as "anti-vaccine."

"News reports have claimed that I am anti-vaccine or anti-industry. Well, I am neither; I am pro-safety," RFK will say. "I worked for years to raise awareness about the mercury and toxic chemicals in fish, but that didn’t make me anti-fish. All of my kids are vaccinated, and I believe vaccines have a critical role in healthcare."

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

Trump's most vulnerable nominees RFK Jr, Tulsi Gabbard get back-to-back hearings

Two of President Donald Trump's most vulnerable administration picks will get back-to-back confirmation hearings in the Senate this week. 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who Trump nominated to be secretary of health and human services (HHS), and former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, whom he selected to be director of national intelligence (DNI), will have committee confirmation hearings on Wednesday and Thursday.

On Wednesday, Kennedy will have his first hearing with the Senate Finance Committee, which will eventually vote on whether to advance his nomination to the full Senate. He will have an additional hearing on Thursday with the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), but that committee will not have a vote on the nomination. 

Gabbard's hearing with the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence will take place Thursday morning. 

The two Trump picks were some of the more controversial administration selections. Both Kennedy and Gabbard are former Democrats with histories of policy positions that clash with what many Republican senators believe.  

Posted by Julia Johnson

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