Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will face the Senate for two days of confirmation hearings in a bid become the leader of Health and Human Services.

During his Senate confirmation hearing, Kennedy claimed he is not against vaccination, contrary to decades of public comments.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a former presidential candidate and environmental activist, endorsed Donald Trump last year and threw his weight behind a campaign to “Make America Healthy Again.” For the past two decades he has been best known for airing skeptical views on vaccines.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. struggled Wednesday to answer questions about Medicare and Medicaid or to provide details about how he would work to drive down health care costs.

If approved, Kennedy will control a $1.7 trillion agency that oversees food and hospital inspections, hundreds of health clinics, vaccine recommendations and health insurance for roughly half the country.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced aggressive questions about his skepticism of vaccines and other issues during the first of two scheduled Senate confirmation hearings.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is appearing before the Senate Committee on Finance on Wednesday as he seeks confirmation to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said vaccines are not safe. His support for abortion access has made conservatives uncomfortable.

RFK Jr. claimed he is not “anti-vaccine” and appeared unfamiliar with key aspects of healthcare insurance programs in his confirmation hearing.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the US Department of Health and Human Services, will tell a Senate Committee Wednesday that he wasn’t anti-vaccine, he was “pro-safety.”