WATCH: Sen. Bernie Sanders questions RFK Jr. in confirmation hearing

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, questioned Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in his confirmation hearing Thursday to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It was the second hearing this week for Kennedy, President Donald Trump's pick for HHS secretary. On Wednesday, he appeared before the Senate Committee on Finance, where he faced pointed questioning about vaccines, potential financial conflict of interests, past comments about the CDC, abortion and his understanding of Medicare and Medicaid. For years, the environmental lawyer has spread misinformation and falsehoods about vaccines and their safety, including the heavily debunked claim that they cause autism. Kennedy has also promoted drinking raw milk, which the Food and Drug Administration says can pose a “serious health risk.” A nephew of former President John F. Kennedy and a former Democrat, Kennedy ran for president as an independent in 2024 before dropping out of the race and endorsing Trump. Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objective TV news show.   Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2Jb8twG Find more from PBS NewsHour at https://www.pbs.org/newshour Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2HfsCD6   Follow us: TikTok:   / pbsnews   X (formerly Twitter):   / newshour   Instagram:   / newshour   Facebook: http://www.pbs.org/newshour   Subscribe: PBS NewsHour podcasts: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/podcasts Newsletters: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/subscribe