Senators hostile to RFK Jr. received thousands of dollars from pharma, health PACs

Three senators who displayed some of the most hostility towards Health and Human Services secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at his confirmation hearing Wednesday all received campaign money from dozens of health industry political action committees, data from the Federal Elections Commission show.

During Kennedy’s confirmation hearing Wednesday, Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., Michael Bennet, D-Colo., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., each pressed Kennedy with questions about his past statements on vaccines, chemicals, or health and insurance programs.

Each of these senators also received thousands of dollars in PAC campaign donations from pharmaceutical, chemical, or health insurance organizations.

In 2024 alone, Whitehouse’s senate campaign took in at least $32,000 from over ten healthcare and chemical industry PACs, including $7,500 from the American Hospital Association PAC and $5,000 from the American Chemistry Council PAC.

Whitehouse has been receiving thousands from dozens of companies in these industries since at least 2019, the data show.

During Bennet’s most recent campaign in 2022, he received more than $62,000 in campaign contributions from PACs representing drug manufacturers, healthcare organizations, and others, including $1,500 from the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, Inc. PAC 

Wyden, who continuously interrupted Kennedy’s answers when asking the nominee about his stances on vaccine safety, received large sums of political donations from pharmaceutical and health insurance companies during 2024, including:

• CHS Community Health Systems, Inc. PAC, contributing $2,500 
• National Association of Specialty Pharmacy PAC, contributing $2,500
• Moda Inc., a health insurance company, PAC, contributing $2,000
• American Health Insurance Plans, Inc. PAC, contributing $5,000
• Molina Healthcare Inc., a Fortune 500, multi-state health care organization that offers health plans for Medicaid, Medicare, and Marketplace members, contributing $2,500
• Novartis Corp., a pharmaceutical company, PAC, contributing $1,000
• Blue Shield of California PAC, contributing $2,500
• Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers Of America PAC, contributing $1,000
• Guidewell Mutual Holding Corp, a mutual insurance holding company primarily focused on health insurance in Florida, contributing $5,000
• Zeneca Inc., a British pharmaceutical company, PAC, contributing $2,000
• Bristol Myers Squibb, global biopharmaceutical company, PAC, contributing $2,500
• Lantheus Holdings Inc., a radiopharmaceutical company, PAC, contributing $3,300

In total, Wyden received at least $55,000 from PACs connected to companies in the health and pharmaceutical industry during that year alone.

None of the senators immediately responded to requests for comment in time for publication.