
A fiery exchange erupted on Capitol Hill when Robert F. Kennedy Jr. confronted Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) over his financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry. During Kennedy’s confirmation hearing for Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, he accused Sanders of taking millions from the same industry he claims to oppose.
Kennedy wasted no time in challenging Sanders. “Bernie, the problem of corruption isn’t just in government agencies—it’s in Congress too,” Kennedy said. “Almost all the members of this panel, including yourself, are accepting millions of dollars from the pharmaceutical industry.” His statement drew cheers from the gallery, prompting an immediate and defensive reaction from Sanders.
Watch Bernie Sanders Squirm as RFK Jr. Calls Out His Big Pharma Money to His Face
SANDERS: “If we want to make America healthy, will you… guarantee health care to every single American?”
KENNEDY: “Bernie, the problem of corruption is not just in the federal agencies. It’s in… pic.twitter.com/2Rv40MOoTc
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) January 30, 2025
“No, no, no!” Sanders shouted, waving his arms. “I ran for president like you. I got millions and millions of contributions. They did not come from executives, not one nickel from PACs. They came from workers.” However, Kennedy countered with documented evidence that Sanders had received nearly $2 million in contributions from pharmaceutical-linked sources.
RFK Jr has exposed the sad truth of the @TheDemocrats and how together with the Pharm business..the pockets of politicians have been lined..we can assume that both have integrated agendas..@DOJCrimDiv @FBI …do not sweep this outburst under the rug ..there is smoke here…Sanders… pic.twitter.com/VjPScMemQE
— Pissed Off Neanderthal🟦 🇺🇸 (@WooPig83) January 31, 2025
OpenSecrets records show that Sanders accepted $439,256 from pharmaceutical and health product companies during the 2015-16 election cycle. In 2019-20, he led all senators in donations from the industry, collecting over $1.4 million. While Sanders insists that the money came from workers and not executives, the fact remains that he benefited heavily from contributions tied to the very industry he claims to fight.
My favorite moment so far in the confirmation hearings? Watching RFK, Jr., pull Bernie Sanders' trigger. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/3BAIBPGmhm
— Ruth E. Brown 🇺🇲 (@RuthEBrown8888) January 31, 2025
Despite his vocal opposition to drug companies, Sanders’ acceptance of these funds raises serious questions. His push for government-controlled healthcare, which would give the pharmaceutical industry even more influence, seems at odds with his financial backing. Kennedy’s pointed remarks exposed a glaring contradiction in Sanders’ rhetoric, forcing the senator into a defensive position as he struggled to justify his campaign’s funding.