Mr. Kennedy appears to have most Republicans behind him as he seeks the job of health secretary, though he couldn’t escape his past stances on vaccines and abortion.

What to know from Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s hearings before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on Thursday.

Senators pressed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on his past vaccine and abortion remarks in the first of two days of hearings before senators vote on whether to confirm him as President Trump’s health secretary.

President-elect Donald Trump invited Chinese President Xi Jinping and conservative world leaders such as Argentine President Javier Milei and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni to the inauguration. Xi is sending his vice president as his representative.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said vaccines are not safe. His support for abortion access has made conservatives uncomfortable.

As he seeks to lead the health department, Mr. Kennedy wore a thin tie dotted with feathered creatures to cap a classic suit.

While Mr. Kennedy, seeking the job of health secretary, has been vocal about vaccines and his desire to overhaul the nation’s diet, he has said very little about other issues.

The NFL quarterback, a known vaccine skeptic, previously turned down Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s offer to be his running mate to continue playing football.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s frequent questioning of the safety of childhood vaccinations over the years is persisting as an issue in his confirmation hearings to become the Trump administration's top health official.

Alexandra Sifferlin, a health and science editor for Times Opinion, hosted an online conversation on Wednesday with the Opinion columnist Zeynep Tufekci and the Opinion writers David Wallace-Wells and Jessica Grose about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s first of two confirmation hearings for secretary of health and human services.

Kennedy minimized and denied controversial things he had said in podcasts, conferences or TV interviews, even though the senators quoted him directly

President Trump’s executive actions, including a freeze on federal grants and a buyout offer to federal employees, have drawn criticism from Democrats and some Republicans, while his pick