Nominations of Kaufman and Schwartz for HHS, Sonderling for Labor

a note to members uh we've got a couple of members on our side who are either cannot be here because of a family emergency or a family commitment now as opposed to wait until they arrive which would be a little bit long uh i'm going to just dismiss senator sanders and i can make our opening statements but then we'll have a vote off the floor and i need to emphasize at least to those who are voting yes you gotta be there and if you're voting no take a walk

it's gonna be about it'll be probably around eleven thirty five

around eleven thirty five let's vote

eleven thirty

OK. And so, sorry for the inconvenience, but um everybody understands when when people have family member issues. OK? Uh and so I'll begin with my opening statement. I'll then defer to Senator Sanders and Mister Chairman, I would just like to point out that your most junior members on this committee down here, are all here in solidarity to help you. This is a sandwich committee. The most senior members, the most junior members, it's the damn people in between. We're here. I just I just knew.

So, Mr. Chairman, this means we don't need to stay and hear your elegant words.

You don't need to stay and hear my elegant words, although you're quite welcome to do so. I see coach has kind of planted, he wants to hear the pep talk. Um, the Senate Committee, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions will please come to order. The nation faces enormous public health challenges. Measal cases are at a thirty five year high, with half a year left for them to rise even more. This due to deliberate attempts to undermine faith in traditional public health measures by those who know nothing, but push their ignorance as fact. CDC needs someone who understands that the way to prevent vaccine preventable diseases is to reassure the public that vaccines are safe and effective. After speaking with Doctor Schwartz again after the hearing, reviewing the transcript, and speaking to those who have served with her and know her well, I'm confident that she knows what she is doing and will stand against those who do not. As a sign of good faith, HHS has now modified the CDC's autism and vaccines web page. There's more to do to repair the damage that has been done to the US public health response, but this is a start. If confirmed, I look forward to working with Doctor Schwartz to protect children's health, and regain trust in the CDC. With that, I recognize Senator Sanders.

Thank you, Mister Chairman, and let me say I was impressed by Doctor Schwartz's um service to our country and our educational background. Not too often that you have people with law degrees and medical degrees. Uh, but I will vote against her. Uh, I share your concern that this country faces major public health crises, measles, et cetera. Uh, you're quite right that we have had conspiracy theorists telling parents all over this country that vaccines don't work or vaccines are dangerous when in fact, we need to vaccinate uh our kids against preventable diseases. The issue at hand is not complicated, and that is, will we have people in the Trump administration have the guts to stand up to people who are anti-science and into conspiracy theories? And I'm afraid that right now, uh, within HHS, we have a secretary who will not tolerate the set. You are more optimistic than I am. Uh, so I will be voting against Doctor Schwartz because we need people in this country who are gonna stand up, protect the American people. And I don't think you're gonna see that right now, uh, with Secretary Kennedy in his position.

The committee s- now stands adjourned, subject to the c- Recess. Recess, subject to the call. Oh, shit. Scratch that. The committee stands recessed, subject to the call of the chair.