Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul appeared Wednesday on Fox News and defended Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and slammed the Democratic Party for ignoring Kennedy’s environmental work.
During an appearance on “The Ingraham Angle,” Paul criticized the Democrats for overlooking what he said were Kennedy’s environmental achievements, particularly his efforts to clean up the Hudson River. Paul said that during the day’s discussions that not a single Democrat acknowledged Kennedy’s accomplishments.
“What’s so disappointing is R.K. (Kennedy) spent probably 30 years of his life cleaning up the Hudson River,” Paul said when asked if Kennedy can convince the Democrats to help confirm him for HHS secretary. “It’s a big deal. Part of his memory in his biography is for having been a great environmentalist, and not one of them complimented him on that.”
Instead, Paul said the focus remained on adherence to scientific consensus, with several Democrats questioning Kennedy’s commitment to science.
“It was sort of, ‘We know the science.’ Well, not one of them has a degree in science. You know, they’ve got like public education or public policy. Not one of them is a scientist,” Paul said. “Yet they want to say he’s not following the science when all he’s asked for really is transparency. He just wants the science to show the facts. But we should have it without the presupposition of the conclusion. And that’s been the problem with science in recent years is they start with a conclusion. Then they look for facts to match the conclusion, and it hasn’t been objective.”
During his Senate confirmation hearing, Kennedy countered Democrats who mocked his stance that most Americans favor private over government-run insurance, saying the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid were unsuccessful in improving health outcomes. Kennedy said there is an urgent need to enhance healthcare for veterans, the elderly, and low-income Americans. He also said that the billions allocated annually to Medicaid had ineffective results.
A December 2024 Gallup poll reported that Americans are divided on health insurance preferences, with 49% opting for private insurance and 46% supporting a government-run system. This division extends to independents, where 49% favor private insurance and 47% back a government-run option.
Despite former President Barack Obama saying that the Affordable Care Act would slash premium costs by $2,500 annually, data from the Heritage Foundation says that average family health insurance premiums surged from $244 to $558 per month between 2013 and 2019. Although proponents believed the legislation would significantly reduce infant mortality, only modest declines have been observed.
(Featured Image Media Credit: Screenshot/Fox News)
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