ToplineSen. Bernie Sanders, D-Va., backed Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s comments on the food industry, in an interview with CBS News on Thursday, but stopped short of committing to approve his nomination as Health and Human Services Secretary, citing concern about his views on other key health issues.
Key Facts
In the interview, Sanders said he thought Kennedy’s comments about the food industry are “exactly correct,” adding that “you have a food industry concerned about their profits, could care less about the health of the American people.”
Sanders, however, criticized Kennedy’s stance on issues like vaccinations and removing fluoride from U.S. water supply systems, calling them “extremely dangerous.”
Despite his agreement with Kennedy on the food industry issue, Sanders did not commit to backing Kennedy’s nomination as the secretary of Health and Human Services.
Sanders, who chairs the Senate’s Health Committee, gave the interview after a hearing where he criticized FDA officials for failing to tackle the obesity and diabetes crisis.
In a post on X promoting the hearing, the Senator wrote, “Junk foods are designed to be addictive, like cigarettes and alcohol,” as he called on the FDA to act.
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Crucial Quote
“I think you have a food industry concerned about their profits, could care less about the health of the American people. I think they have to be taken on,” Sanders told CBS News. “On the other hand…when Mr. Kennedy talks about taking fluoride out of our water systems…the scientific community will tell you that would be a disaster…His views on vaccines are very wrong in so many ways.”
Chief Critic
While not directly addressing Sanders’ remarks, Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., alluded to Kennedy’s opinions on the food industry and criticized him during the Senate hearing, saying: “Some would say what he says on diet and importance of healthy foods is reasonable. However, one reasonable opinion does not qualify someone to run the United States Department of Health and Human Services.”
Key Background
Kennedy has been publicly critical of processed foods like sugary cereals and has vowed to “get the chemicals out” of America’s food supply. At various times, the HHS secretary nominee has described foods sold in the U.S. as “poison” and has blamed pesticides and herbicides used in agriculture for health problems. Kennedy has also spoken about getting rid of processed foods from school lunches and has also called for preventing people from buying what he calls “junk” food and sugary drinks using government assistance programs.
Tangent
Sanders’ comment about Kennedy is a rare instance of a senior Democratic leader praising one of the health secretary nominee’s s