Bernie Sanders Faces Backlash As RFK Jr. Calls Out His Big Pharma Funding

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) found himself on the defensive during a heated confirmation hearing for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Kennedy took aim at Sanders over his financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry, highlighting donations received by the senator over the years.

The confrontation unfolded during the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing. Kennedy, responding to Sanders’ questioning on healthcare policy, shifted the discussion to campaign funding. “By the way, Bernie, you know the problem of corruption is not just in the federal 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 and protecting their interests.”

Sanders reacted sharply, waving his hand dismissively as audience members began clapping. “Oh no, no, no! No, no, no,” he said. “I ran for president like you. I got millions and millions of contributions. They did not come from the executives. Not one nickel of PAC money from the pharmaceutical industry. They came from workers.”

Financial records from OpenSecrets show that Sanders was the top recipient of pharmaceutical-related donations among senators during the 2019-20 election cycle, bringing in over $1.4 million. In the 2015-16 cycle, he ranked second, receiving $439,256. Kennedy cited these figures, arguing that Sanders’ rhetoric against drug companies conflicted with the financial support he had received.

Sanders defended the contributions, emphasizing that the money came from industry employees rather than corporate interests. “Because I had more contributions from workers all over this country,” Sanders said. “Workers, not a nickel from corporate PACs… from workers in the industry.”

The tense exchange was part of a broader back-and-forth between the two men. A day earlier, Sanders had questioned Kennedy about his past involvement with Children’s Health Defense, an organization known for opposing vaccine mandates. Holding up baby onesies sold by the group with anti-vaccine messaging, Sanders pressed Kennedy on whether he supported the products. Kennedy responded that he had resigned from the organization and no longer had control over its decisions.