Elizabeth Warren And RFK Jr. Duke It Out Over Access to Vaccines: ‘Did You Hold Up a Big Sign Saying You Were Lying?’

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy got heated just moments into the senator questioning Kennedy at a Thursday hearing.

Kennedy appeared before the Senate Finance Committee, where he clashed with a number of lawmakers on his vaccine stance, as well as the departure of CDC Director Susan Monarez. The former CDC director claimed Kennedy pushed her to back his vaccine guidance even if she felt scientific evidence suggested the opposite, something Kennedy denied.

Warren also questioned Kennedy on Monarez, but things were especially tense when Warren straight-up accused Kennedy of taking away access to vaccines, something Kennedy also denied. Warren argued that the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) new guidance on the Covid vaccine limits access as some pharmacies won’t need to carry it, and insurance companies don’t need to cover it.

The guidance from the FDA approves a Covid vaccine for people 65 and over, as well as people between the ages of 5 and 64 who have underlying conditions that would put them at higher risk if they got Covid.

Warren claimed the narrower guidance proves Kennedy is breaking his previous promise not to block access to vaccines.

“It’s not recommended for healthy people,” Kennedy explained.

“No, no. If you don’t recommend then the consequence of that in many states is that you can’t walk into a pharmacy and get one. It means insurance companies don’t have to cover the $200 or so cost. As senator, doctor Cassidy said, you are effectively denying people vaccines,” Warren shot back.

“We’re not going to recommend a product for which there’s no clinical data for that indication. Is that what I should be doing?” Kennedy said.

At one point, he brought up political contributions Warren has received from pharmaceutical companies as Warren continued to accuse him of breaking the promise he made during his confirmation hearing.

“I know you’ve taken $855,000 dollars from pharmaceutical companies, senator!” Kennedy said.

“Did you hold up a big sign saying that you were lying when you said that? Because you are the one who said you would not take them away?” Warren responded.

Check out the exchange below:

ELIZABETH WARREN: Will you tell America that all adults and all children over six months of age are eligible to get a covid booster at their local pharmacy today?

ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR.: Anybody can get the booster.

WARREN: I’m sorry?

KENNEDY: Anybody can get it, senator.

WARREN: Anybody? So you’re saying that is now the official rule of HHS. Anybody is eligible to get a booster just by walking into the pharmacy.

KENNEDY: It’s not recommended for healthy people.

WARREN: No, no. If you don’t recommend then the consequence of that in many states is that you can’t walk into a pharmacy and get one. It means insurance companies don’t have to cover the $200 or so cost. As Sen/Dr. Cassidy said, you are effectively denying people vaccines.

KENNEDY: We’re not going to recommend a product for which there’s no clinical data for that indication. Is that what I should be doing?

WARREN: What you should be doing is honoring your promise that you made when you were looking to get confirmed in this job and that is that you promised that you would not take away vaccines from anyone who wanted them. You just changed the classification of the Covid vaccine.

KENNEDY: I’m not taking them away from people, senator.

WARREN: It takes it away if you can’t get it from your pharmacy.

KENNEDY: Most Americans are going to be able to get it from their pharmacy for free. Most Americans will be able to get it from their pharmacy.

WARREN: No, the question is everyone who wants it. That was your promise.

KENNEDY: I never promised that I was going to recommend products for which there is no indication.

WARREN: When you said —

KENNEDY: And I know you’ve taken $855,000 dollars from pharmaceutical companies, senator!

WARREN: Did you hold up a big sign saying that you were lying when you said that? Because you are the one who said you would not take them away.

KENNEDY: I’m not taking them away. Everybody can get access to them.

WARREN: No, they can’t walk into a pharmacy the way that they could last month and get access.

KENNEDY: It depends on the state. It depends on the state.

WARREN: It depends. A year ago, it did not depend. A month ago, it did not depend.

KENNEDY: Everybody can get it, senator.

WARREN: So, let’s move on. You’re clearly taking away vaccines.

Watch above via CNN.