Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is due to face the political inquisition beginning today (Jan. 29), kicking off with the Senate Finance Committee, which will make the ultimate decision on whether to advance his nomination. And yet this sure-to-be contentious questioning is just one step on the road to confirmation. The Make America Healthy agenda – or MAHA – could live or die based on how RFK Jr. handles the cut and thrust.
The MAHA Factor
It was a pivotal moment when RFK Jr. joined Donald Trump’s campaign, not only for Kennedy – whose nascent independent bid was struggling to gain national traction – but also for Trump, who collected an extra slice of the electorate. And perhaps more importantly, the president, then a candidate, had gained a new platform that had formerly been largely considered the domain of the left.
Kennedy has made it his personal mission to MAHA – and he saw the best way to do so was to become part of the winning team. While much of the American public was enthused by his pledge to make food and medicine safer, an equal amount was dismayed by his views regarding vaccines – or, more accurately, the media's description of his views.
Today, Democrats on the Finance Committee will put Kennedy through the proverbial wringer – that’s their job as the minority party. Those on the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) will have their turn on Thursday. But there is an optics cost. In a five-minute-or-less blast, can lawmakers convey to the American electorate why they oppose the idea of getting the nation healthy? The prize for doing so is a very public repudiation of Kennedy and, by a greater extension, Trump. It may prove, however, to be a tall order.
For every clip on MSNBC of a haymaker from left field, there will be social media posts in the thousands from Kennedy’s loyal supporters – amplified by those who back Trump’s overall vision of which Kennedy is an integral part. And remember, not all RFK Jr. fans are on the political right. American health is a cross-party issue. Unless Democrats make a compelling, watertight case against the Health and Human Services hopeful, Senate Democrats may end up alienating their own base.
A Senate Gamble
It is not just Democrats who could be looking to score points by giving Kennedy a tough time. President Trump has a firm grip on his Capitol Hill colleagues, but it is not an iron one.
The final Senate vote for Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense was met with a tiebreaker resolved by Vice President and Senate President JD Vance. Sens. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska all sided with the 47 Democratic senators to oppose. Hegseth was the canary in the coal mine for nominees who are not of the establishment variety – RFK Jr. fits perfectly in that particular category.
The head of the HELP committee, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), has hinted strongly at his support, noting publicly that his concerns over vaccines have been allayed after "a frank conversation" with the nominee. This means that Kennedy could make it to the floor for a full vote. But there is no guarantee that committee support translates into a majority in the full upper chamber.
There are a thousand ways that RFK Jr. could fail, and only one way to win. If he falls, he may take the whole MAHA movement with him.
