Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been on Capitol Hill this week in an attempt to drum up support for his nomination to be the next leader of the Department of Health and Human Services.
According to one senator he spoke to, Kennedy is aligning himself with President-elect Donald Trump's stance on abortion and has signaled that he will exercise restraint when it comes to regulating the agricultural industry.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R–Ala., said following his meeting with Kennedy that his view on abortion is "whatever Trump decides" and that Kennedy will "back him 100%." Trump has repeatedly said he wants to let the states decide the matter for themselves and is against a national abortion ban. He has also expressed support for certain limited exceptions to abortion restrictions, such as when the life of the mother is in jeopardy.
Tuberville also said he spoke to Kennedy about not going "overboard" when it comes to regulating farmers. The senator told reporters that Kennedy is "very on board" with protecting their livelihoods and "understands our farmers are in trouble, and we want to make sure that we have farmers that can make a living."
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Kennedy's nomination has drawn skepticism from both pro-life groups and those in the agriculture sector. Pro-life groups have expressed concern over Kennedy's past statements that extol a liberal position on reproductive rights, while people in the agricultural sector have expressed concern over Kennedy's crusade against processed foods and pesticides. The fears from those in the agriculture sector were bolstered after Trump said he wants to let Kennedy "go wild on health and dramatically shake things up."
However, according to Tuberville, Kennedy understands the need to strike a balance when it comes to regulating the food industry, and he confirmed his views on abortion have evolved to be in line with Trump's.
"We talked about abortion and the big thing about abortion is he's telling everybody, 'Listen whatever president Trump [supports] I'm going back him 100%,'" Tuberville told reporters following his meeting with Kennedy.
Tuberville highlighted how Trump has expressed support for three main exceptions to abortion restrictions, which include instances when the life of the mother is in jeopardy, or when either rape or incest was the cause of a woman's pregnancy.
"I just asked him, ‘In the past you’ve been pro-abortion,’ and he said, well, it’s basically, he and President Trump have sat down and talked about it, and both of them came to an agreement, ‘Hey, Roe-Wade is gone, it’s gone to the states, let the people vote on it,’" Tuberville said.
Tuberville added that he also agrees with Trump's stance on abortion, telling reporters that while he is pro-life, he is also "glad the American citizens have a chance to vote in their state," adding that Kennedy feels the same.
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While recounting his conversation with Kennedy to reporters, Tuberville also shared that the two discussed how Kennedy would approach the agriculture industry, considering his fervent belief that the American food system is deeply flawed. Republicans who hail from states where agriculture is a major industry have expressed concern about Kennedy restricting modern farming techniques. Meanwhile, a Michigan soybean and corn farmer called Kennedy's nomination a "danger" to the agriculture industry.
Tuberville echoed the concerns of his fellow GOP lawmakers following his meeting with Kennedy, telling reporters that while his constituents are "very concerned" about food safety, they do not want regulations to be so stringent that it puts farmers out of a job.
"I can understand that," Tuberville said of his constituents' concerns, "and he's very on board. He understands our farmers are in trouble, and we want to make sure that we have farmers that can make a living, and we don't lose our our family farms."
Fox News Digital reached out to spokespeople for the potential future HHS secretary but did not receive a response by press time.
