Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s blistering accusation against Senator Bernie Sanders exposed the unsettling union of politics and pharmaceutical money, leaving you questioning: who’s health are they really protecting?
At a Glance
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. accused Bernie Sanders of taking pharmaceutical money in a Senate hearing.
- Sanders denied accepting PAC money and claimed contributions came from workers.
- Sanders received $1.5 million from pharma sources in 2020, allegedly from individuals.
- The tension arises amid Kennedy’s controversial anti-vaccine stance.
Accusations Amidst Confirmation
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., during his confirmation hearing for Secretary of Health and Human Services, claimed Senator Bernie Sanders won pharmaceutical money through donations while attending the Senate hearing. Kennedy unabashedly accused Sanders and fellow health committee members of compromising public health in favor of financial contributions from pharmaceutical companies. This hearing reinforced suspicions about the poisonous infiltration of corporate contributions in crafting health policies.
Senator Bernie Sanders, renowned for his antagonism towards corporate money, particularly Big Pharma, found himself in the crosshairs of Kennedy’s fiery allegations. Sanders refuted the accusations, insisting his campaign contributions were devoid of PAC money, particularly from pharmaceutical companies. He claimed his donations flowed from ordinary workers, not corporate moguls.
Digging into the Contributions
In a stunning revelation, Kennedy stated Sanders was the leading recipient of pharmaceutical money in the year 2020. Sanders admitted to receiving a hefty sum of $1.5 million. However, he emphasized these contributions originated from individual employees, not corporate PACs. It was further disclosed by OpenSecrets that Sanders was the second-largest pharmaceutical donation recipient in Congress as of 2016, with donations exceeding $439,000.
“No, no, no. I ran for President like you. I got millions and millions of contributions. They did not come from the executives. Not one nickel of PAC money from the pharmaceutical industry. They came from workers.” – Bernie Sanders
The contrasting viewpoints exchanged during the hearing accentuated the inherent tension in healthcare governance. Sanders addressed the committee, highlighting his commitment to refuse corporate donations. Still, the hefty individual contributions from those within the pharmaceutical sector raised eyebrows. This episode brought the larger question of transparency and accountability in political funding to the forefront.
Anna Matson@AnnaRMatson@OpenSecretsDC and @QuiverQuant
was used to review each senator.These also are the ones' who would like to keep RFK Jr at bay
They are feeding from the trough, make note & remember them if, needed at primary time
{Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham,…— Never Have Enough… (@kellg12) January 29, 2025
Clash of Controversy and Principles
Kennedy’s confrontation with Sanders wasn’t just heated; it was a clash of stalwarts. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a supporter of President Trump, drew skepticism from the Democrats due to his anti-vaccine stance. His urgency to rid the Department of Health and Human Services of potential conflicts with Big Pharma struck an ironic note, given the support from an administration infamously chummy with corporate giants.
“By the way, Bernie, the problem of corruption is not just in the federal agencies — it’s in Congress too.” – RFK Jr
Sanders, a long-time proponent for lower drug prices and better access to healthcare, attempted to defend the allegations by reiterating his enduring criticism of pharmaceutical companies’ greed. Amidst this backdrop, Kennedy daringly called out the hypocrisy of senators, including Sanders, who profess healthcare reform ambitions yet grapple with donations from the very industries they critique.
