Sen. Maria Cantwell has voted against the advancement of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination for Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Like most in the Democratic caucus, Cantwell chafes at Kennedy's inability to endorse the efficacy of vaccines. According to Cantwell, RFK Jr.'s secretarial bid devolved to the point of no return on Thursday, during his second confirmation hearing. He mixed it up with the restive Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican and gastroenterologist.

Kennedy could only promise to keep an open mind and read the literature. Despite some leading questions from Cassidy, he wouldn't rule out a link between vaccination and autism.

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A longtime environmentalist, Kennedy has been a very vocal vaccine skeptic for the past many years. He is practically despised in some circles and revered in others as a new age folk hero.

Cantwell demanded a nominee who is committed, as she put it, to medical technology, science and global health. She is particularly aghast, she says, at Kennedy's proposal, first articulated in November, to cut 600 personnel from the National Institutes of Health.

"I represent a very big innovation state," Cantwell asserted at last week's hearing. "Innovation in health care, specifically. Innovation like NIH funding to the Fred Hutch Cancer Center that helped develop the HPV vaccine, which has the potential to eliminate over 95% of cervical cancer."

"NIH also funds a lot of jobs and grants - nearly 11,000 people in the State of Washington and over $1.2 billion worth grants." 

Despite her misgivings, the Senate Finance Committee ultimately voted 14-13 to advance Kennedy's confirmation. It was a party-line vote; even Cassidy was eventually persuaded to back RFK Jr. (The Cabinet confirmation process has become as partisan as any other D.C. affair.) His fate will soon be decided in a full Senate vote.

Click here to read Cantwell's statement in its entirety.

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