RFK Jr. stunned after emotionally-charged testimony from senator over discredited autism claims
RFK Jr. stunned after emotionally-charged testimony from senator over discredited autism claims
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Kennedy pledged that he would ‘never stick on a point if somebody shows [him] data that says [he’s] wrong’. “And, a day does not go by when I don’t think about, ‘What did I do when I was pregnant with him that might have caused the hydrocephalus that has so impacted his life,” she told Kennedy, in tears. “So, please do not suggest that anybody in this body of either political party doesn’t want to know what the cause of autism is,” Hassan said. “Do you know how many friends with children who have autism?”.
![[Robert F. Kennedy Jr., testifies during his Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions confirmation hearing on Thursday in Washington, D.C. Kennedy was testifying for a second day]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/30/20/59/GettyImages-2196795263.jpeg)
The senator accused Kennedy of “re-litigating and churning settled science” so “we can’t go forward” and find out the cause. “Mr. Kennedy, that first autism study rocked my world,” Hassan continued. “And, like every mother, I worried about whether, in fact, the vaccine had done something to my son.”. “Because sometimes science is wrong. We make progress, we build on the work, and we become more successful,” she added. “And, when you continue to sow doubt about settled science, it makes it impossible for us to move forward.”.
Hassan did not give Kennedy time to respond to her statements before turning to the next topic. Hydrocephalus, which has been associated with autism, is a buildup of spinal fluid that puts pressure on the brain. “If the data’s brought to you — and these studies that have been out there for quite some time and have been peer-reviewed — and it shows that these two vaccines are not associated with autism, will you ask, 'No, I need even more?'” asked Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy. “Or, will you say, ‘No, I see this, It’s stood the test of time and I unequivocally and without qualification say that this does not cause autism?”.
