Civilization
RFK confirmation hearing explodes
The hearing for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (RFK) to be Secretary of Health and Human Services exploded in incendiary, unhinged rhetoric.
Yesterday, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (RFK), nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, appeared before the Senate Finance Committee. Democrats on that Committee treated him so badly that other rank-and-file Democrats apparently are quitting the Party in response. The problem, as ever, will be with Senate Republicans. Their ostensible motives might be RFK’s previous comments on abortion and the environment. But their actual motives are likely as dark as those of his often shrill and unhinged Democratic Senate critics.
How the RFK confirmation hearing unfolded
Reportage on the hearing comes mainly from The Gateway Pundit and other alternative media sources. The legacy media are not trustworthy in this connection. Their coverage reads almost as if they’re not covering the same event. But worse than that, they promoted a so-called Committee to Protect Health Care, which showed a petition of doctors who said RFK should not become Secretary of Health. The ostensible reason lay in Kennedy’s opposition to one-size-fits-all vaccine mandates and other “public health interventions.”
Any such petition from the Most Excellent Order of the White Smock is automatically suspect. Your editor says that as a former clinical laboratory administrator. But that group made no effort to vet signatures. Alex Jones signed it twice, as “Dr. Fake” and “Dr. BS.” He then left this medium-form post on X, detailing his findings:
Major Breaking Bill Gates Scandal! Gates Foundation Dark Money Group, Arabella Caught Secretly Running A Fake Medical Petition With Over 17K Signatures Of Fake Doctors Targeting The Conformation of RFK Jr As HHS Secretary.
This new bombshell revelation dwarfs Gates’ latest scandal from October of last year when he was caught secretly giving $50 million to the Harris Walz campaign, after Gates publicly claimed he was nonpartisan and not supporting either party.
Earlier today, Talk Show Host Alex Jones was able to duplicate the findings of other journalists who were able to sign the petition and falsely claim they were doctors against the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr for Secretary of HHS.
It’s critical to note, journalists first investigated “the petition” site because legacy media has been reporting on it as if it is real and not a hoax.
Major Breaking Bill Gates Scandal! Gates Foundation Dark Money Group, Arabella Caught Secretly Running A Fake Medical Petition With Over 17K Signatures Of Fake Doctors Targeting The Conformation of RFK Jr As HHS Secretary.
This new bombshell revelation dwarfs Gates latest… pic.twitter.com/Ccm9SQagpo— Alex Jones (@RealAlexJones) January 24, 2025
RFK appeared before the hearing beginning at 10:00 a.m. EST. That hearing lasted for nearly five hours.
Collin Rugg, on X, called out several Democrats for “chuckling”: at Kennedy. He, in turn, accused them of wasting vast sums on a system that makes Americans less healthy, not more.
Americans, by and large, do not like the Affordable Care Act. People are on it, they don’t like Medicaid, they like Medicare, and they like private insurance.
I would ask any of the Democrats who were chuckling just now, do you think all that money, the $900 billion that we’re sending to Medicaid every year, has made Americans healthy? Do we think it’s working for anybody?
JUST IN: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. calls out Democrats to their faces who were laughing at him, rips them for burning money just to make Americans less healthy.
"I would ask any of the Democrats who were chuckling just now, do you think all that money, the $900 billion that… pic.twitter.com/EvY4Hlil2G— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 29, 2025
The lowlights
The first lowlight came from Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). Wyden brought up a podcast in which an interviewer interrupted RFK after he got a juicy sound bite. Said the Senator:
Mr. Kennedy has embraced conspiracy theories, quacks, charlatans, especially when it comes to the safety and efficacy of vaccines. He has made it his life’s work to sow doubt and discourage parents from getting their kids life-saving vaccines. 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.
Senator, whom are you calling quack? The Quack of All Quacks is Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., as anyone who cares to know, knows. Fauci pushed a vaccine that killed many, injured many more, and helped no one.
RFK said in response:
Senator, as you know, because it’s been repeatedly debunked. That statement I made on the Lex Fridman Podcast was a fragment of the statement. He asked me – and anyone who goes back and looks at this podcast will see this – he asked me whether there were vaccines that were safe and effective. And I said to him some of the live virus vaccines are. And I said there were no vaccines that were safe and effective for every person. Every medicine has people that are sensitive to them, including vaccines.
He interrupted me at that point. I’ve corrected it MANY TIMES, including on national TV. You know about this, Senator Wyden, so bringing this up right now is dishonest.
BOOM
RFK Jr. just completely dismantled Senator Ron Wyden's DISHONEST opening line of questioning:
"I‘ve corrected it MANY TIMES, including on national TV. You know about this, Senator Wyden, so bringing this up right now is dishonest." pic.twitter.com/L3MAxp3MTb— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) January 29, 2025
The Senator hastily moved on to a letter Kennedy wrote to the FDA, asking them not to approve coronavirus vaccines. Or did he write that?
The CDC recommended COVID vaccines without any scientific basis for six-year-old children. COVID Vaccines are inappropriate for six-year-old children who basically have zero risk from COVID. That’s why I brought that lawsuit.
RFK Jr Debunks the "Anti-Vaxxer" Claims Made About Him
"You know about this, Senator Wyden, so bringing this up right now is dishonest." pic.twitter.com/JQUatWCG8P— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) January 29, 2025
The shrill voice in the background came from a protester who shouted some indecipherable remarks. After Capitol Police hustled her out, Wyden accused Kennedy of causing people in American Samoa to die of measles, by scaring them away from the measles vaccine. Said RFK in response:
I went there to introduce a medical informatics system. I would digitalize records in Samoa and make health delivery much more efficient. Clearly, I had nothing to do with the measles … when the tissue samples were sent to New Zealand [for analysis] most of those people did not have measles.
RFK Jr. debunks Sen. Wyden's narrative that RFK Jr was responsible for 83 people dying from measles in Samoa:
"I had nothing to do with the measles… Tissues samples sent to new Zealand, most of those people did not have measles. We don't know what was killing them." pic.twitter.com/UdJ9fOLADd— Media Research Center (@theMRC) January 29, 2025
Next came Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), who accused the candidate of sending out a fundraising email – for his Presidential campaign – celebrating President Donald Trump’s Regulatory Freeze Pending Review order, and asking for donations.
Sen. Warner: I take your views seriously…But I got to tell you, I saw an email your campaign put out Monday night. Your presidential campaign celebrated the freeze on new regulations is a way to protect unelected bureaucrats from undermining our health freedom. Then, you ask your donors to help pay for your campaign debt.
RFK: I don’t think my campaign exists anymore, Senator.
Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) says RFK Jr.'s 2024 presidential campaign is currently fundraising…
WARNER: I saw an email your campaign put out Monday night. Your presidential campaign celebrated the freeze on new regulations is a way to protect unelected bureaucrats from… pic.twitter.com/1o3RXKDEyG— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 29, 2025
Lowest light of all: RFK v. Elizabeth “Fauxcahontas” Warren
And then came Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Reportage on this episode came from The Gateway Pundit, Independent Journal Review, and The Western Journal. First she conceded that “Big Pharma has too much power.” Thenshe asked “an easy question”: would RFK agree to take no money from drug companies, as Secretary or afterward. He replied yes, of course – and that they probably wouldn’t want to hire him anyway.
Then – with an irony likely lost on her – she started droning on about his record with a private law firm. This firm developed a reputation for “suing vaccine makers.” She then asked whether Kennedy would “take no compensation” from suing drug companies, as Secretary or for four years afterward. (For everyone’s information, no current law specifies a “covenant not to hire on” for four years.)
That set up this exchange:
RFK: You’re asking me to not sue drug companies and I will not agree to that.
Warren: No, you can sue drug companies as much as you want! [Loud applause interrupts.]
RFK: I am not going to agree not to sue drug companies or anybody.
Warren: Let’s do a quick count here, of how, as Secretary of HHS (if you get confirmed), you could influence every one of those lawsuits…. You could publish your anti-vaccine conspiracies, but this time on U.S. government letterhead, something a jury might be impressed by. You could apply…
RFK: I don’t understand….
Warren: … anti-vaccine panel, who share your anti-vaccine views, and let them do your dirty work. You could tell the CDC panel to remove a particular vaccine from the [Childhood] Vaccine Schedule. You could remove vaccines from special compensation programs, which could open up manufacturers to mass tort [actions]. You could make more injuries eligible for compensation, even if there is no causal evidence. You could change vaccine court processes to make it easier to bring junk lawsuits. You could turn over FDA data to your friends at the law firms, and they could use it however it would benefit them. You could change vaccine labeling. You could change vaccine information rules. You could change which injuries are compensated in the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program….
RFK: [blows his nose on camera]
Warren [continuing]: There’s a lot of ways that you could influence those future lawsuits and pending lawsuits while you are secretary of HHS and I’m asking you to commit right now that you will not take a financial stake in every one of those lawsuits so that what you do as secretary will also benefit you financially down the line.
RFK: I’ll comply with all the ethical guidelines…
Warren: That’s not the question. You and I … you…
RFK: You’re asking me not to sue vaccine companies,…
Warren [RANTING AND RAVING AND SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF HER LUNGS] NO, I! AM! NOT! MY QUESTION IS…!
RFK: Yes, you are. That is exactly what you’re doing.
Warren: Look! No one should be fooled here.
RFK: [Drowned out]
Warren: As secretary of HHS, Robert F. Kennedy will have the power to undercut vaccines and vaccine manufacturing across our country. And for all of his talk about follow the science and his promise that he won’t interfere with those of us who want to vaccinate his kids, the bottom line is the same. Kennedy can kill off access to vaccines and make millions of dollars while he does it. Kids might die, but Robert Kennedy can keep cashing in.
RFK: Senator, I support vaccines. I support the childhood schedule. The only thing that I want is good science. That’s it.
Warren: How about saying you won’t make money off what you do as Secretary of HHS?
Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Chairman: Before we move on to Sen. [Thom] Tillis [R-N.C.], I think it would be very important for me to make it very clear that Mr. Kennedy has gone through the same Office of Government Ethics that every other candidate…
Sometime after that, came Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). He brought up a line of baby “onesies” by Children’s Health Defense, having anti-vax messages like “Unvaxxed, unafraid.” And Sen. Sanders went off his nut almost as badly as had Sen. Warren – on the issue of whether that clothing line would conflict with his duties.
Correspondent Megyn Kelly, seated behind RFK, laughed out loud at that exchange.
WATCH: "ARE YOU SUPPORTIVE OF THESE ONSIES?"
Bernie Sanders goes totally unhinged on RFK Jr. over anti-vax baby clothes. pic.twitter.com/Gp4o9V1KvF— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) January 29, 2025
Analysis:
Sens. Warren and Sanders no doubt want people to forget that they are the top two donees of Big Pharma Money during the 2020 election cycle. Victor Nieves at TGP shared a table to that effect, from Open Secrets. This is what RFK was trying to say, though he was too tactful to accuse Sen. Warren directly.
His voice sounds deceptively plaintive and is the result of a serious injury to his voice box many years ago. But his willingness to “support vaccines” slightly undercut his basic message. Which is: not all vaccines are safe or effective for everyone. In fact, a reasonable basis now exists to reexamine every vaccine success story, going clear back to the Salk and Sabin polio vaccines and even the Jenner vaccine against smallpox. Suppose the real reason for the disappearance of the Polio Wards in major hospitals was a long-overdue attention to cleanliness? And what shall we say to the Republic of India, who sanctioned Bill Gates after one of his vaccine programs produced a raft of paralysis cases among children? (The Golden Gate University Law Digital Commons has a full report of that and similar episodes. Furthermore, many in India call for Bill Gates’ arrest for this activity.)
Sens. Sanders and Warren should know about this, if they have even remotely competent research staffs. To be fair, the Republicans might have brought that up themselves in rebuttal. But perhaps they thought those two Senators ruined themselves and their case with their out-of-control rants.
Senator Warren, you ought to be ashamed of yourself
That last is easy to believe. It ill befits a Senator to accept cash from a suspect industry, and castigate a Presidential nominee for a history of calling that same industry to account in our law courts. And when Sen. Warren screamed at RFK, she showed great fear.
Clearly, she’s hiding something. She can’t hide her history of receiving campaign and other donations from Big Pharma. But might she be hiding the guilty knowledge those “vaccine makers” might have, that:
- Their preparations do more harm than good, and furthermore:
- The entire case for vaccination could rest on a non-causative correlation between widespread vaccination and disease curtailment.
A close examination of Victor Nieves’ Open Secrets results clearly shows that Republican Senators took Big Pharma cash, too. That includes Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and both former Senators from Georgia. Their successors continue to take Big Pharma cash – as does Sen. Tillis.
Indeed, the rest of the Senate should shift the Senate’s Overton Window of acceptable discourse toward reexamining the Vaccine Premise. Those screaming fits in the Finance Committee should convince everyone that such reexamination is warranted – and that RFK is the man to oversee it.
RFK’s former running mate, Nicole Shanahan, is rich enough, and has threatened, to “primary” or otherwise defeat certain Senators who vote against RFK. These include Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.). Ms. Shanahan shows direct buyer’s remorse for helping those two get elected. And more:
And more than that, I also want to say to Senators Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, Bill Cassidy, Tom Tillis, James Lankford, Cory Booker, John Fetterman, Bernie Sanders, and Catherine Cortez Masto, this is a bipartisan message and it comes directly from me. While Bobby may be willing to play nice, I won’t. If you vote against him, I will personally fund challengers to primary you in your next election and I will enlist hundreds of thousands to join me. Big Pharma and Big Ag have exploited us for far too long.
It’s about time.
Terry A. Hurlbut has been a student of politics, philosophy, and science for more than 35 years. He is a graduate of Yale College and has served as a physician-level laboratory administrator in a 250-bed community hospital. He also is a serious student of the Bible, is conversant in its two primary original languages, and has followed the creation-science movement closely since 1993.
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