Mr. Kennedy’s views about vaccination were at the center of Democrats’ fight against him. He has said he favors both the measles vaccine and the polio vaccine, and would not do anything to prevent or discourage people from taking them. But he opposes vaccine mandates, even for schoolchildren, and when pushed, he refused to accept the mainstream scientific consensus that vaccines do not cause autism.
“Mr. Kennedy is fond of saying he’s not making recommendations about whether parents should vaccinate their kids — he’s just asking questions and giving people choices,” Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, the top Democrat on the Finance Committee, said on Wednesday after the Senate voted to advance Mr. Kennedy’s nomination.
“That’s a slippery tactic used by conspiracy theorists to dodge any real responsibility for their words and actions,” Mr. Wyden added, “and it’s absurd coming from somebody who’s about to be confirmed for a job that is entirely about making recommendations.”
Senator Angus King, an independent from Maine, was more succinct: “If this were a secret ballot, this man wouldn’t get 20 votes.”
Republicans, even those uneasy about Mr. Kennedy, said he had assuaged their misgivings.
“I continue to have concerns about Mr. Kennedy’s views on vaccines and his selective interpretation of scientific studies,” Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska, wrote in a lengthy social media post on Wednesday.
But, she added, “he has made numerous commitments to me and my colleagues, promising to work with Congress to ensure public access to information and to base vaccine recommendations on data-driven, evidence-based, and medically sound research.”
Christina Jewett contributed reporting.
