Mark Kelly: “I really care about science. I spent my career as an engineer, as a Navy pilot and a test pilot, and as an…”

“I really care about science. I spent my career as an engineer, as a Navy pilot and a test pilot, and as an astronaut--three jobs where facts matter, where you make decisions based on science, not superstition, because when you are launching off of an aircraft carrier or orbiting the Earth at 17,500 miles per hour, there is no room for conspiracy theories; you have to deal in reality. In my career, relying on science literally meant the difference between life and death. The same is true for the person who is responsible for our Nation's health. The Secretary of Health and Human Services is responsible for making sure that the best science guides our healthcare, from developing lifesaving medicines to preventing deadly diseases. This job requires a commitment to science, facts, and to public health, but the nominee before us today, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has spent much of his career doing the exact opposite--rejecting science, spreading conspiracy theories, and putting public health at risk. That is not someone that I want in charge of keeping Arizonans healthy. That would be his job, by the way--responding to disease outbreaks, approving new medicines and treatments, overseeing healthcare coverage for millions of Arizonans and millions of Americans. So this isn't just some bureaucratic decision that we are about to make; this is about whether the next HHS Secretary will protect public health or undermine it with dangerous misinformation.…”