Politico Pro: Senate Dems press RFK Jr. for more ethics pledges ahead of floor vote

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s recent ethics concessions aren't assuaging two Senate Democrats on the panels charged with vetting his nomination to be HHS secretary.

Senate Finance member Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions member Tim Kaine (D-Va.) demanded additional commitments from Kennedy on Wednesday ahead of his confirmation vote - which could occur as soon as next week - to mitigate what they say are continued conflicts of interest.

In a letter shared first with POLITICO, the pair asked Kennedy to either forfeit his financial interest in all cases he's referred to Wisner Baum that involve HHS-regulated entities or accept a lump sum unrelated to their outcomes. That law firm is leading litigation against Merck's HPV vaccine, Gardasil.

They also called for Kennedy to recuse himself from matters involving former clients and employers for four years and to commit to not lobbying the department or litigating cases against pharma companies for at least four years after he leaves office. The senators requested a response by Friday.

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