Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sits behind his name plaque that reads MR. KENNEDY and in front of a group of people at the Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing -- politics coverage from STAT
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump’s HHS nominee, testifies during his Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing Wednesday in Washington.Win McNamee/Getty Images

By Rachel Cohrs Zhang, Sarah Owermohle, and Isabella Cueto

Jan. 29, 2025

Rachel Cohrs Zhang

Rachel Cohrs Zhang reported on the intersection of health policy and business in Washington. She covered Capitol Hill, lobbying, and federal agencies. Her primary areas of focus were the pharmaceutical and hospital industries. She was also the co-author of the free, twice-weekly D.C. Diagnosis newsletter.

Sarah Owermohle

Sarah Owermohle reported on the administration’s health care initiatives, federal health policy, and its intersection with politics and the courts. She joined STAT in 2022 after covering health policy at Politico. She was also the co-author of the free, twice-weekly D.C. Diagnosis newsletter.

Isabella Cueto

[email protected]

Isabella Cueto covers the leading causes of death and disability: chronic diseases. Her focus includes autoimmune conditions and diseases of the lungs, kidneys, liver (and more). She writes about intriguing research, the promises and pitfalls of treatment, and what can be done about the burden of disease. You can reach Isabella on Signal at isabellacueto.03.

WASHINGTON — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. rattled off statistics about chronic disease, sparred with Democratic senators, backtracked on his prior support for abortion, and accused senators of twisting his past remarks during a three-and-a-half-hour confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday. 

Senators covered a mind-boggling range of issues as they grilled RFK Jr., President Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. During the high-profile hearing, RFK Jr. offered some concrete ideas to regulate food and nutrition programs, but didn’t offer details about his plans to change how the health care system works in the United States. 

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RFK Jr. readily offered promises to maintain access to vaccines, support global health aid programs, and retain HHS employees he viewed as doing their jobs, in an attempt to reassure skeptical senators. He framed his past criticisms of vaccines as noble efforts to attack powerful interests. 

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  1. Rachel Cohrs Zhang

    Chief Washington Correspondent

    Rachel Cohrs Zhang reported on the intersection of health policy and business in Washington. She covered Capitol Hill, lobbying, and federal agencies. Her primary areas of focus were the pharmaceutical and hospital industries. She was also the co-author of the free, twice-weekly D.C. Diagnosis newsletter.

  2. Sarah Owermohle

    Washington Correspondent

    Sarah Owermohle reported on the administration’s health care initiatives, federal health policy, and its intersection with politics and the courts. She joined STAT in 2022 after covering health policy at Politico. She was also the co-author of the free, twice-weekly D.C. Diagnosis newsletter.

  3. Isabella Cueto

    Chronic Disease Reporter

    Isabella Cueto covers the leading causes of death and disability: chronic diseases. Her focus includes autoimmune conditions and diseases of the lungs, kidneys, liver (and more). She writes about intriguing research, the promises and pitfalls of treatment, and what can be done about the burden of disease. You can reach Isabella on Signal at isabellacueto.03.