Nicole Shanahan, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s former running mate, has issued a strong warning to senators ahead of Kennedy’s confirmation hearings for the role of Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Shanahan, a billionaire philanthropist and attorney, signaled her willingness to fund primary challengers against senators who vote against Kennedy’s nomination.
In a video posted on social media, Shanahan stated that Kennedy is “proven, principled, and prepared to lead,” urging voters to pressure their senators into supporting his confirmation, emphasizing the need for bipartisan backing. She also directly addressed key senators, including both Democrats and Republicans, making it clear that she would actively work against them in future elections if they opposed Kennedy’s appointment.
Shanahan highlighted her past financial contributions to Democratic Senate campaigns, revealing that she had provided significant donations in 2020 to support Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s efforts to flip two Georgia seats. She pointedly reminded Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff of their reliance on donor support and warned that she would make it her mission to see them unseated if they voted against Kennedy.
In addition to Warnock and Ossoff, Shanahan named several other senators whose stance on Kennedy’s nomination remains uncertain. Among them were Republicans Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, Bill Cassidy, Thom Tillis, and James Lankford, as well as Democrats Cory Booker, John Fetterman, and Catherine Cortez Masto. Her message also included Independent Senator Bernie Sanders. She framed her warning as a bipartisan call to action, asserting that senators must choose between transparency and obstruction.
Kennedy’s views on vaccines have been a focal point in discussions about his nomination. While Shanahan has previously stated that she does not identify as an anti-vaxxer, she has expressed skepticism about mainstream medical consensus, attributing her daughter’s autism diagnosis to vaccines.
RFK Junior engaged in heated debates with many Democratic senators, with the confrontations highlighted in the media, with Elizabeth Warren accusing RFK of taking away vaccines. In questions posed by Bernie Sanders regarding Making America Healthy, RFK responded by saying, “And by the way, Bernie, the problem of corruption is not just in the federal agencies. It’s in Congress too,” Kennedy said. “Almost all the members of this panel, including yourself, are accepting millions of dollars from the pharmaceutical industry and protecting their interests.”
“Oh, no, no, no, no,” Sanders responded. “I ran for president like you. I got millions and millions of contributions. They did not come from the executives; not one nickel of PAC money from the pharmaceutical industry. They came from the workers.”
“In 2020 you were the single largest receiver of pharmaceutical money,” said Kennedy.
Senate Republicans have largely rallied to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s defense following his tense confirmation hearing, with many brushing off his past anti-vaccine rhetoric. Republican senators, including Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), who is a physician, moderated concerns over Kennedy’s stance on vaccines, insisting that Kennedy’s true aim is to seek the truth. He pointed to widespread distrust in the CDC, suggesting that Kennedy’s stance aligns with a broader skepticism of public health agencies. Other Republicans, such as Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.), also defended Kennedy’s past statements, claiming that many of the conspiracy theories he has pushed have later turned out to be true.
Kennedy’s confirmation hearings before the Senate Finance Committee began on Wednesday, January 29, with additional questioning scheduled before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. The full Senate, currently controlled by Republicans with a 53-47 majority, will ultimately decide his confirmation, with Vice President J.D. Vance positioned as a potential tie-breaking vote.
