Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spent two days this week insisting to senators that he’s not anti-vaccine. He said that he instead supports vaccinations and will follow the science in overseeing the $1.7 trillion Department of Health and Human Services, which, among other duties, oversees vaccine research, approval and recommendations.

For the first time in modern American history, a skeptic of medical research could be responsible for safeguarding public health.

The hearings were packed to capacity with protesters and fans, while the spillover crowd hung out in hallways and overflow rooms.