GEOFF BENNETT: And there was one more break-or-make hearing today.

That was for Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

He went before a second committee after a first round of questioning yesterday.

And for the first time, we heard a Republican publicly express doubts about him.

Our Lisa Desjardins was there.

She joins us now.

So, Lisa, what were the major differences between the second hearing and the first one?

LISA DESJARDINS: This was a much sharper hearing and potentially more impactful as well, Geoff.

This was the Senate's Health Committee.

And it is chaired by a potential swing vote, Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who also happens to be a trained physician.

Now, he right at the top of the hearing said something we hadn't heard yesterday, which was he said he has real concerns as a Republican of past misleading and unfounded statements, he said, by Kennedy about vaccines.

And then he asked a direct question to Kennedy.

SEN. BILL CASSIDY (R-LA): Will you reassure mothers, unequivocally and without qualification, that the measles and hepatitis B vaccines do not cause autism?

ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR., Health and Human Services Secretary Nominee: Senator, I am not going into the agency with any... SEN. BILL CASSIDY: Well, that's kind of a yes-or-no question, because -- so, if you're -- because the data is there.

And that's kind of a yes or no.

And I don't mean to cut you off, but that really is a yes or no.

ROBERT F. KENNEDY: If the data is there, I will absolutely do that.

LISA DESJARDINS: Now, this is what Kennedy says, is that he's open to arguments, but Democrats and Cassidy said it's not a question of if the data is there.

In fact, we know the data is there, at least what the data says so far.

There's a 2022 study looking at 19 different studies that shows there's no link that's known scientifically between autism and vaccines.

There's also studies looking at kids who were not vaccinated and saying no difference significance in how they were diagnosed with autism.

Now, there's something else notable in this hearing too, Geoff.

Three Republican senators who were in this hearing, you see them right there, backed up Kennedy's refusal to deny that link between autism and vaccines.

They said, why not be open to it?

One of them talking to afterwards, Tommy Tuberville, said, there probably is a link.

That is not scientific.

And in this hearing, where Kennedy was questioning science, he wants to disrupt what he says is people who are acting in bad faith, the truth is, Kennedy, who's written books on health, I have been reading one of them himself, is not really sticking to the science here.

And on vaccines, public health folks say that's dangerous.

GEOFF BENNETT: And there was another controversial moment today that centered on 9/11 and conspiracy theories?

Tell us about that.

LISA DESJARDINS: That's right.

This centered, in fact, on sort of some past things that he said, including a post that he put on X last summer.

This is what it said, going back to last summer when he was running for president.

RFK wrote that, it's hard to tell what's a conspiracy theory and he won't take sides on 9/11.

Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, a Democrat, asked Kennedy about that.

SEN. TIM KAINE (D-VA): You won't take sides on 9/11 and you're admitting, I have a hard time telling what is a conspiracy theory and what isn't.

ROBERT F. KENNEDY: Senator, I haven't investigated it.

If the things that I investigate, I take sides on, people are allowed to hold that opinion.

I'm not going to tell them they're crazy for holding that opinion.

I'm going to say, what is your evidence?

LISA DESJARDINS: So, this is two decades after 9/11, not denying conspiracy theories.

No one I talked to afterwards could defend that.

GEOFF BENNETT: So these three nominees today, RFK Jr., Tulsi Gabbard, Kash Patel, controversial by any normal standard, but we're not living in normal political times.

I mean, will they have the votes?

LISA DESJARDINS: OK, here's where we are right now.

It looks like Patel is doing well.

He's on track for confirmation at this moment.

Gabbard had a tough day today, and I think especially from Republicans, I'm hearing there is some talk of trying to convince President Trump to pull her nomination.

Now, Kennedy, on the bubble.

It really comes down to a question of Trump and the pressure he puts, how much he's committed to these nominees.

GEOFF BENNETT: Lisa Desjardins, thanks, as always.

LISA DESJARDINS: You're welcome.