As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to enter the White House for his second term, his nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is facing sharp scrutiny from pro-life advocates and lawmakers. Leading the charge is former Vice President Mike Pence’s organization, Advancing American Freedom (AAF), which is urging senators to reject Kennedy’s confirmation unless he provides clear answers to pressing pro-life concerns.
At the heart of the controversy is Kennedy’s past stance on abortion, which included statements that a woman should have the right to abort her unborn child “even if [the baby] is full term.” Such views, AAF argues, are fundamentally incompatible with the pro-life legacy of Trump’s first administration. In a letter first obtained by The Daily Wire, AAF President Tim Chapman and Board Chairman Marc Short laid out their concerns, emphasizing that HHS plays a pivotal role in shaping federal abortion policy. “There are hundreds of decisions made every day at HHS that either lead our nation toward a respect for life or away from it,” they wrote, pointing to federal funding for Planned Parenthood, abortion pill regulations, and conscience protections as critical areas where a pro-life stance is non-negotiable.
Kennedy has sought to address these concerns in private meetings with Republican senators, including Josh Hawley of Missouri, who has emerged as a key figure in gauging Kennedy’s commitment to pro-life policies. According to Hawley, Kennedy made significant promises to align with Trump’s agenda, including reinstating the Mexico City Policy, which bans federal funding for international organizations that promote or perform abortions. Kennedy also pledged to bar taxpayer funding for abortions domestically, reinstate conscience protections for healthcare providers, and staff HHS with pro-life deputies.
“He told me he believes there are far too many abortions in the U.S. and that we cannot be the moral leader of the free world with abortion rates so high,” Hawley said. While this commitment has reassured some senators, others remain wary, given Kennedy’s inconsistent record on the issue.
Kennedy’s public statements on abortion over the years have fueled much of the skepticism. In June 2024, he spoke of an “emerging consensus” on abortion, suggesting that most Americans agree on restricting abortion after a certain number of weeks but keeping it legal earlier in pregnancy. He called every abortion a “tragedy” but framed his position as one of finding middle ground—a stance that doesn’t sit well with the pro-life movement, which demands absolute clarity on protecting life from conception.
AAF’s letter reflects this unease, posing a series of pointed questions that Kennedy must answer to satisfy pro-life advocates. Among them: “When do you believe that life should be protected?” and “At what gestational age do you believe unborn children should be protected by the federal government?” They also demand clarity on Kennedy’s stance on abortion pills, which account for 60% of abortions in the U.S., and whether he would reinstate safeguards placed on the drugs by previous administrations. AAF further calls for Kennedy to commit to enforcing data collection on abortions, an area where transparency has been sorely lacking in many states.
Kennedy’s nomination places senators in a politically delicate position. Trump, who oversaw what many describe as the most pro-life administration in history and was instrumental in overturning Roe v. Wade, has remained relatively quiet on abortion during his 2024 campaign, likely recognizing the political challenges of navigating the post-Roe landscape. By nominating Kennedy, a figure with a more moderate stance on abortion, Trump may be attempting to balance the demands of the pro-life movement with the broader electorate, which remains divided on the issue.
Some conservatives, however, believe Kennedy is evolving on abortion. Brian Burch, president of Catholic Vote and Trump’s pick for Ambassador to the Holy See, sees Kennedy as a potential ally. “He’s publicly now said that he opposes late-term abortion,” Burch told The Daily Wire. “He recognizes there is not a public consensus around how and where to regulate abortion, and he would like to work in innovative ways to reduce the number of abortions and help women choose life.”
Still, AAF isn’t convinced. Their letter warns that an HHS Secretary without a firm pro-life commitment could undermine the progress made during Trump’s first term. “Whatever the merits of RFK Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again initiative … an HHS Secretary must have a firm commitment to protect unborn children, or else bend under the pressure and pushback surrounding these daily, critical decisions,” the letter reads.
Kennedy’s private assurances to senators like Hawley and Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma have won him some cautious supporters. Mullin recounted Kennedy’s response when pressed on his personal beliefs: “I’m serving at the will of the President of the United States, and it’s his policies that I will put forth. … The country knows where the president is on that, and so therefore, that’s my position.” Mullin concluded, “I’m good with that … I believe Bobby is still the right person for this position.”