Robert F. Kennedy's nomination will put Republican lawmakers' loyalty to the test, as the former Democrat holds a range of unorthodox positions that could alienate both conservatives and liberals.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, the top Republican on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, concluded Thursday's hearing by saying he was "struggling" with the nomination due to Kennedy's vaccine positions. Kennedy notably refused to say vaccines don't cause autism as he faced pointed question from lawmakers.

"All of a sudden, boom, he emerges and just unleashes on somebody. He went off on Republican Senator Ted Cruz a couple of years ago. Remember that?”

If you come out unequivocally — ‘vaccines are safe, it does not cause autism’ that would have an incredible impact,” Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) told the HHS nominee.

Follow live updates and news coverage of the Senate confirmation hearing for RFK Jr. Stay up to date with real-time developments on key moments and outcomes for Trump’s nominee for Health Secretary.

In his opening remarks, Idaho Senator Mike Crapo, the Finance committee's chairman, praised Kennedy's “commitment to combatting chronic conditions" and said prioritizing disease prevention “ will save lives, reduce costs and build a healthier, stronger country.”

The longtime liberal faces deep skepticism over his public health views. “Frankly, you frighten people,” one Democratic senator told his former roommate.

Senate Democrats on Wednesday grilled Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President’s Trump’s pick for Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary, during a contentious confirmation hearing, hitting the former

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s long and tumultuous road to Donald Trump’s Cabinet faced its toughest test on Wednesday, when the vaccine conspiracy theorist and former presidential candidate appeared before the Senate Finance Committee to defend his nomination as Health and Human Services secretary.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testified in a sometimes-contentious hearing before the Senate’s Finance Committee on Wednesday, and will appear Thursday before the health committee.

Senator Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia, quickly condemned the Trump administration’s offer to roughly 2 million federal employees to resign in exchange for pay, saying in a Senate floor speech that the deal was a trick, that the president didn’t have the authority to make the offer and employees who resign may not be paid.