Furious senator fights tears as she tells RFK Jr. of her son with cerebral palsy

Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) attacked Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s questionable beliefs about science during his confirmation hearing by citing her son, who has "severe cerebral palsy."

Speaking to the committee Thursday, Hassan said she found it "disturbing" that Republicans accused her and her colleagues of partisanship during Kennedy's first hearing a day earlier.

"Like all of us, I take really seriously our obligation for advice and consent," she said of the Senate's role.

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"And I am concerned, as Sen. [Markwayne] Mullin (R-OK) is concerned, about the need for science to help us move forward on critical, critical issues."

"Now, some of you new to this committee might not know that I'm the proud mother to a 36-year-old young man with severe cerebral palsy," Hassan continued, her voice cracking as she spoke.

"And a day does not go by when I don't think about what I did when I was pregnant with him that might have caused the hydrocephalus that has so impacted his life.

"So, please, do not suggest that anybody in this body of either political party doesn't want to know what the cause of autism is!" Hassan shouted at Kennedy.

She went on to argue that the problem with Kennedy is that he continues to try and re-litigate "settled science" about autism and vaccines. The study that Kennedy often cites looked at 12 children who were vaccinated. It then claimed a false connection to those with autism. The journal that published the study ultimately retracted it.

See her comments in the video below or at the link here.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com