It isn’t often that Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) raises his voice, but he sure did Wednesday while taking Robert Kennedy Jr. to task for some of the more outlandish conspiracy theories he’s spent a career breathing life into.
Kennedy ― President Donald Trump’s pick for health secretary ― testified before the Senate Finance Committee, where Bennet used his time to ask Kennedy to clarify his past statements about everything from COVID-19 and Lyme disease to abortion.
“Out of 330 million Americans,” Bennet reflected, incredulously, “we’re being asked to put somebody in this job who has spent 50 years of his life peddling in half-truths, peddling in false statements, peddling in theories that create doubt about whether or not things we know are safe are unsafe.”
Bennet opened his line of direct questioning with a doozy:
“I’m asking you: Yes or no, did you say that COVID-19 was a genetically engineered bioweapon that targeted Black and white people but spared Jews and Chinese people?”
Kennedy hedged, responding that he didn’t say that, he was just quoting a study that said it. (Read more about the incident here).
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Bennet said, then moved on: “Did you say that Lyme disease is highly likely a militarily engineered bioweapon?”
Kennedy paused and conceded, “I probably did say that.” As he tried to temper the statement, Bennet drilled down: “I want all of our colleagues to hear it, Mr. Kennedy,” he said, raising his voice. “You said yes.”
Moving along, the Colorado Democrat asked Kennedy if he’s ever said “that exposure to pesticides causes children to become transgender.” Kennedy said no, perhaps forgetting he’s absolutely made the claim.
Bennet then referenced a section in one of Kennedy’s books, asking if he’d written “that African AIDS is an entirely different disease from western AIDS.” When Kennedy demurred with an “I’m not sure,” Bennet offered to provide the book to the committee chair.
The senator’s voice again rose at the end of his time as he reflected on Kennedy’s waffling response to a question about abortion rights.
“Did you say it, Mr. Kennedy?” he said, removing his glasses before repeating the question. “Did you say it, Mr. Kennedy!?”
Kennedy stalled, prompting Bennet to practically yell, “This matters!”
“It doesn’t matter what you come here and say that isn’t true, that is not reflective of what you really believe,” he continued. “That you haven’t said over decade after decade after decade, because unlike other jobs we are confirming around this place, this is a job where it is life and death. … It is too important for the games that you are playing, Mr. Kennedy.”
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“I hope my colleagues will say to the president that out of 330 million Americans,” he concluded, “we can do better than this.”