Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) faced tough criticism from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during a heated Senate hearing, where Kennedy accused him of accepting significant financial contributions from the pharmaceutical industry while claiming to oppose it. The confrontation took place as Kennedy was being questioned in his confirmation hearing for Secretary of Health and Human Services.
As the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee examined Kennedy’s nomination, he turned the discussion to campaign finances. “By the way, Bernie, you know the problem of corruption is not just in the federal agencies, it’s in Congress, too,” Kennedy said. “Almost all the members of this panel, including yourself, are accepting millions of dollars from the pharmaceutical industry and protecting their interests.”
Watch Bernie Sanders Squirm as RFK Jr. Calls Out His Big Pharma Money to His Face
SANDERS: “If we want to make America healthy, will you… guarantee health care to every single American?”
KENNEDY: “Bernie, the problem of corruption is not just in the federal agencies. It’s in… pic.twitter.com/2Rv40MOoTc
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) January 30, 2025
The claim drew immediate reaction, with Sanders waving his hands and pushing back on the accusation. “Oh no, no, no! No, no, no,” he said. “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.”
OpenSecrets, a nonprofit that tracks campaign financing, reported that Sanders took in over $1.4 million from individuals linked to the pharmaceutical and health product industries during the 2019-20 election cycle, more than any other senator. In the 2015-16 cycle, he received $439,256, ranking second at the time.
RFK Jr has exposed the sad truth of the @TheDemocrats and how together with the Pharm business..the pockets of politicians have been lined..we can assume that both have integrated agendas..@DOJCrimDiv @FBI …do not sweep this outburst under the rug ..there is smoke here…Sanders… pic.twitter.com/VjPScMemQE
— Pissed Off Neanderthal🟦 🇺🇸 (@WooPig83) January 31, 2025
Kennedy pointed to these figures, pressing Sanders on the contradiction between his campaign rhetoric and financial support. Sanders insisted the money did not come from pharmaceutical executives or PACs but rather from industry workers making personal donations. “Because I had more contributions from workers all over this country,” he stated. “Workers, not a nickel from corporate PACs… from workers in the industry.”
The back-and-forth was one of several heated moments between the two men. A day earlier, Sanders challenged Kennedy over his past involvement with Children’s Health Defense, an organization known for opposing vaccine mandates. Holding up baby onesies sold by the group with slogans promoting vaccine hesitancy, Sanders questioned how Kennedy could claim to be pro-vaccine. Kennedy responded by saying he had stepped down from the group and had no control over its operations.
My favorite moment so far in the confirmation hearings? Watching RFK, Jr., pull Bernie Sanders' trigger. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/3BAIBPGmhm
— Ruth E. Brown 🇺🇲 (@RuthEBrown8888) January 31, 2025
