Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has blamed fluoride in drinking water for ailments from arthritis to bone cancer to thyroid damage. “I was called a conspiracy theorist because I said fluoride lowered IQ,” Kenne

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, made a number of disputed claims.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is facing some skepticism from the public. A survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows only about 3 in 10 Americans approve of President Donald Trump nominating Kennedy as Department of Health and Human Services secretary.

RFK Jr has long expressed views that conflict with scientific evidence, especially on vaccines, and his nomination has provoked opposition from public health experts. But he has also adopted positions with popular support, scrutinising the use of food additives and urging that the power of big pharma be curbed.

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 Wednesday on Capitol Hill as he sought confirmation for the role of Health and Human Services Secretary.

RFK Jr. claimed he is not “anti-vaccine” and appeared unfamiliar with key aspects of healthcare insurance programs in his confirmation hearing.

To watch Kennedy's confirmation hearing, viewers can look to the Senate Finance Committee website on Wednesday and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee website on Thursday. C-SPAN and a plethora of broadcast and cable media outlets will broadcast live what is likely to be a contentious confirmation hearing on television.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s anti-vaccine advocacy is outside the mainstream. His previous statements on abortion could alienate Republicans. But a new poll finds that not all of his controversial health goals are unpopular — in fact, at least one has broad support among Democrats and Republicans.

In a Senate hearing, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said that efforts to address the high rates of chronic disease need to start with fixing the food supply.

As Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faces his Senate confirmation hearings to lead the HHS, here's where he stands on health issues including vaccines and food dyes.