THE RFK JR. HILL CAMPAIGNS — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues his Capitol Hill stump today, and his schedule includes meetings with the rising members of GOP leadership — such as incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune — as well as Finance and Health Committee lawmakers. Who’s not on the list? Outgoing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a polio survivor, who issued a statement Friday slamming an effort to revoke FDA approval of the polio vaccine by one of Kennedy’s associates. The oppo: Meanwhile, Kennedy detractors are buying tens of thousands of dollars in digital and billboard ads across the states of certain Republican senators in their bid to sink his nomination, POLITICO’s Daniel Payne writes. Those senators include Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and the newly elected Jim Justice (R-W.Va.). Thought bubble: Your morning host has also wondered about Justice, who was famously bullish on vaccines during the Covid pandemic as governor and organized a task force focused on delivering shots and treatments to a hesitant West Virginia populace. And while Justice opposed Covid vaccine mandates, especially for children, he vetoed state legislation earlier this year that would have eliminated vaccination requirements for students in virtual public schools and allowed private and religious schools to set their own standards. “We think there might be a possibility there, based on that,” said Brad Woodhouse, president of the Democratic-aligned group Protect Our Care, which is behind the ad buys. “He’s had a position on vaccines that’s been pretty reasonable, and RFK doesn’t.” Lauren caught up with Dr. Clay Marsh, who served as Justice’s Covid czar at the pandemic’s height, last month about how Justice might approach health policy in the Senate given his coronavirus experience. While Marsh said he expects Justice’s priorities to be energy and jobs, he noted the senator-elect’s focus on those issues as connected to the greater health and well-being of his state’s residents. And with respect to vaccines: Marsh — now chancellor and executive dean of health science for West Virginia University, said “there’s lots of data” supporting the safety of vaccines. “On balance, vaccines [are], other than probably clean water and handwashing during surgery, the most important elements that have been life-saving and life-sustaining” for public health, he said. Justice has declined to comment on whether he’d vote to confirm Kennedy, though he’s signaled openness to Trump’s slate of nominees. A spokesperson didn’t respond to a request for comment. GUTHRIE BUILDS OUT STAFF — Incoming House Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) is filling out top committee staff for the next Congress, POLITICO’s Ben Leonard reports. Megan Jackson will be staff director, coming from biopharmaceutical firm Alkermes, where she was vice president of policy and government relations. Sophie Trainor Khanahmadi will be deputy staff director after serving as Guthrie’s chief of staff for the last three years. Jackson lobbied on a number of issues, including the 340B drug discount program, community health centers and many provider-based rural health clinics and potential changes to the Inflation Reduction Act ’s Medicare drug price negotiation power.
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