Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) erupted during a heated exchange with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in the U.S. Senate on Thursday after RFK accused him of being corrupt.
The exchange happened during the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee’s hearing to consider the nomination of Kennedy to be Secretary of Health and Human Services.
“If we want to make America healthy, will you assure the American people that you will fight to do what every other major country on earth does—guarantee healthcare to every single American?” Sanders asked.
“I’m going to make America healthier than any other country in the world right now,” Kennedy responded.
“Will you guarantee to do what every other major country is?” Sanders interrupted him. “It’s a simple question, Bobby.”
Kennedy fired back: “The problem of corruption is not just in the federal agencies, it’s in Congress, too. Almost all the members of this panel are accepting, including yourself, millions of dollars from the pharmaceutical industry to protect their interests.”
“Oh no, no, no! No, no, no,” Sanders responded. “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.”
“In 2020, you were the single largest recipient of pharmaceutical dollars,” Kennedy responded.
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