WATCH: Sen. Whitehouse challenges RFK Jr. on abortion views

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., questioned Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday in his confirmation hearing for health and human services secretary. Kennedy appeared before the Senate Committee on Finance. Whitehouse pressed Kennedy on his views on abortion, giving an example of a family who has to make a difficult medical choice to save the life of a mother late in a pregnancy. "In that environment, the doctors and the family own that decision. Government has no place in that room at that point," Whitehouse said. Earlier in the hearing, Kennedy said "every abortion is a tragedy." "I think we need to understand when this 'late-term abortion' gets bandied about, what you're dealing with is a tragedy that is happening to a family who wanted that child and have suddenly been confronted with a moment in which they have to make what is probably going to be the worst decision of their lives," Whitehouse said. For years, Kennedy, an environmental lawyer, has spread misinformation and falsehoods about vaccines and their safety, including the heavily debunked claim that they cause autism. Kennedy has also promoted drinking raw milk, which the Food and Drug Administration says can pose a “serious health risk.” His views on these issues and others have prompted concern among health experts about his nomination. Kennedy, the son of Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy, ran for president as an independent in 2024 before dropping out of the race and endorsing Trump. Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objective TV news show. Newsletters: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/subscribe PBS News podcasts: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/podcasts Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2Jb8twG Find more from PBS News at https://www.pbs.org/newshour Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2HfsCD6 Follow us: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pbsnews X: http://www.twitter.com/newshour Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/newshour Facebook: http://www.pbs.org/newshour