WASHINGTON, Jan 29, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Robert F. Kennedy Jr faces a pivotal 
Senate hearing Wednesday where he will be grilled on his history of promoting 
vaccine misinformation and plans to upend US science agencies as he bids to 
become President Donald Trump's health secretary.

If confirmed, the 71-year-old Kennedy family scion and former environmental 
lawyer would take the helm of a department overseeing more than 80,000 
employees and a $1.7 trillion budget at a time when scientists are sounding 
the alarm over the potential for bird flu to trigger a human pandemic.

Critics have labeled him dangerously unqualified, citing his promotion of 
debunked claims linking measles vaccines to autism, his suggestion that HIV 
does not cause AIDS, his financial interests in law firms suing 
pharmaceutical companies, and more.

At the same time, the former Democrat has garnered praise for his "Make 
America Healthy Again" (MAHA) agenda, which riffs on Trump's "Make America 
Great Again" slogan and emphasizes combatting the nation's chronic disease 
epidemic through healthier eating and prioritizing wellness.

Complicating his path to confirmation, a conservative group founded by former 
vice president Mike Pence has raised concerns about Kennedy's past donations 
to organizations supporting abortion access -- an issue that could alienate 
Republicans and jeopardize his chances of securing the necessary 50 votes.

"His stance on multiple health issues goes against established scientific 
knowledge -- and these are huge red flags," Syra Madad, an epidemiologist and 
fellow at Harvard Belfer Center told AFP.

- Vaccine opposition -

Though he has tried to soften his vaccine skepticism in recent months, 
Kennedy, or "RFK Jr" as he is widely known, spent two decades promoting 
vaccine conspiracy theories, especially around Covid-19 shots -- which he 
called the "deadliest ever made."

He has also stated that he exclusively drinks raw milk, claiming it "advances 
human health" -- a stance he maintains even as bird flu spreads among US 
cattle and has been shown to contaminate unpasteurized milk.

Another frequent target of his ire is the presence of fluoride in the 
nation's public water supplies, introduced in the mid-20th century to reduce 
dental cavities.

While his criticism of this practice has generated controversy, he also has 
the support of some in the scientific community who question whether the 
benefits of water fluoridation outweigh potential neurotoxic risks, 
particularly as fluoride is now readily available through toothpaste.

- Bizarre behavior -

Kennedy initially ran as an independent candidate in the 2024 presidential 
election, setting the campaign ablaze with a string of bizarre and headline-
grabbing revelations.

His claim of recovering from a parasitic brain worm, made during a divorce 
deposition, resurfaced in a New York Times report.

He also released a video admitting that, a decade earlier, he had placed a 
dead six-month-old bear cub in Central Park after initially planning to skin 
it for meat.

Meanwhile, a government agency reportedly launched an investigation into a 
claim made by his daughter that Kennedy had once used a chainsaw to 
decapitate a dead whale.

His decision to back Trump after withdrawing from the race led to 
condemnation from his siblings -- and on Tuesday, his cousin Caroline Kennedy 
published a scathing letter to senators, urging them to reject him and 
calling him a "predator" who led younger relatives down the path of drug 
addiction.

"His basement, his garage, and his dorm room were the centers of the action 
where drugs were available, and he enjoyed showing off how he put baby 
chickens and mice in the blender to feed his hawks," wrote Kennedy, a former 
ambassador and daughter of slain former president John F. Kennedy.