Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., is thrilled Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services is moving forward.
"I'm a big supporter of his nomination," Johnson told Newsmax's "National Report." "I know he's not anti-vax. I'm not anti-vax. He's very pro-science. We need to understand what is causing chronic illness and autism, and he'll follow the facts where the science directs him to."
The Senate finance committee voted Tuesday to advance Kennedy's nomination for a floor vote. Republicans voted together to advance his nomination, while Democrats all opposed.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., who is also a physician and sits on the finance committee, voted to advance Kennedy's confirmation. Last week, during Kennedy's hearings, Cassidy repeatedly implored Kennedy to reject a disproven theory that vaccines cause autism, but to no avail. He ended the hearing by saying he was "struggling" with the vote.
"Your past, undermining confidence in vaccines with unfounded or misleading arguments, concerns me," Cassidy told Kennedy.
Johnson said he thanked Cassidy for voting to advance his nomination and to prove he is not anti-vaccines.
"He's going to be very pro-science," Johnson said.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report
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