Wanted to share some information on the RFK Jr. nomination before the Senate.
It probably won’t surprise you that RFK Jr., along with Tulsi Gabbard, are among the few Trump nominees who might actually not get confirmed. But I’m told that one senator who Democratic senators and health care advocates have real concerns about is none other than Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). To be clear, Whitehouse isn’t confirmed as voting for Kennedy. But he appears to be actively considering it. (Ed Note: WTF?)
Why? I’m told that there appear to be two reasons: One is that Whitehouse and Kennedy are personal friends. They were law school roommates at UVA and that seems to have been the beginning of a lifelong friendship. There are also specific issues with Rhode Island’s health care system that apparently need regulatory flexibility from HHS. That seems to be a real issue. But it hasn’t been enough of an issue to shift the state’s senior senator, Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), who remains firmly opposed to Kennedy’s nomination.
Whitehouse isn’t the only Democratic senator not firmly locked down. There are also concerns about John Fetterman (D-PA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT). But observers seem fairly confident that both will oppose Kennedy.
Whitehouse is the question mark.
Here’s why Whitehouse’s possible vote to confirm Kennedy would be of more than just symbolic importance. There’s potential Republican opposition to Kennedy both for his advocacy in favor of polio, measles and other childhood diseases but also because, at least until a few weeks ago, he was pro-choice. But the first is the real problem. Dyed-in-the-wool anti-abortion advocates like Josh Hawley (R-MO) have giving Kennedy their blessing. It’s polio and measles, stupid, to paraphrase a younger James Carville.
Vote counters opposing Kennedy’s nomination believe there is a handful of Republicans seriously considering opposing Kennedy. But they’re unlikely to do so if one or more Democrats themselves vote to confirm him.
In other news, Rhode Island just reported its first case of measles since 2013.
Requests for comment from Whitehouse’s office went unanswered by time of publication.
