If approved, Kennedy will control a $1.7 trillion agency that oversees food and hospital inspections, hundreds of health clinics, vaccine recommendations and health insurance for roughly half the country.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confronted with a number of his baseless claims and a vexing abortion issue. But Republican senators treaded lightly.

If confirmed by the Senate, Kennedy would head the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which oversees many of the country’s health agencies, from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced intense scrutiny about previous statements at his first confirmation hearing for DHHS secretary.

The former U.S. ambasador — the last surviving child of Jacqueline and John F. Kennedy — urged lawmakers to reject RFK Jr.’s nomination as health secretary.

Caroline Kennedy said in a scathing letter about her cousin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., that she felt "an obligation to speak out."

Caroline Kennedy, a member of the famed U.S. political family, urged senators on Tuesday to reject her cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination to lead the top U.S. health agency, calling him a "predator" and his healthcare views "dangerous.