PHILADELHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s contentious confirmation hearings for health secretary continue, despite no Republican opposition. Pam Bondi's nomination for attorney general advances, though she'll lack Democratic support. The Trump administration's federal worker buyout plan faces pushback from unions. Meanwhile, Bob Menendez receives an 11-year sentence for corruption. CBS News congressional correspondent Scott MacFarlane joined KYW's Michelle Durham with the latest from Capitol Hill.
Michelle Durham: Scott, thank you for joining us. Now, we'll start with these confirmation hearings. They were blistering today in the Senate Judiciary Committee for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Scott MacFarlane: And there'll be a second hearing in front of a different panel later this week.
Despite all of the back and forth -- and there were some heated exchanges about vaccines, efficacy, and whether he's an anti-vaxxer -- there's no coalition of Republican senators standing in the way of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. being confirmed as the next Secretary of Health and Human Services.
It still takes four Republicans to oppose any nominee to block that nomination, and there have not been four Republican senators who have announced opposition.
I think Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during his hearings today, the contentious exchanges with Democrats, tried to make the point that he's not the threat he's being painted out to be. But among those calling him a threat to public safety are members of his own family, and that really does resonate here.
And of course, we knew that Pam Bondi's nomination has now been advanced in the Senate.
She will be the next attorney general of the United States.
You'll have to recall because things move so quickly, it's sometimes hard to remember: She was the second choice to be Attorney general.
The first choice for Trump was Matt Gaetz, the former congressman from Florida who just was a non-starter, even with Republicans.
Pam Bondi is not going to secure many Democratic votes, but she'll have a sufficient support to be attorney general.
As a former lawyer representing Donald Trump, she is somebody who may not have the traditional independence the Department of Justice is expected to have from the White House, but that's one of the other norms that Trump is poised to shatter.
Interesting that the Trump administration is offering buyouts to some federal workers.
And that's going to impact any number of people in Southeast Pennsylvania, thousands of federal workers in our area. They're not all just in Washington, D.C.
I think the reporting we have today kind of questions the use of the term "buyout," though it's been used by the administration.
The employees who would somehow volunteer to separate from the federal government would be paid through September, but they still have to work through September, if remotely, if not in person.
But the unions representing so many local federal workers, Michelle, the American Federation of Government Employees, the National Treasury Employees Union, they're urging their members not to take this deal.
Some of the Democrats in the Senate say they will get stiffed. They will not get the pay they expect if they sign up for this voluntary separation.
Let's see how many people do take it.
And former New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez was sentenced today.
And the prosecutors got nearly what they asked for. It's an 11-year prison sentence in the federal corruption case against the former New Jersey senator.
You'll recall he was accused of and convicted of exchanging official actions in office for personal riches, even the gold bars that were found in his home. An 11-year prison term is an awfully long term in a nonviolent case.
Bob Menendez has a set of appeals he's executing, but for now he will have to get ready to go to prison likely in the next three to four months. They don't go to prison immediately in the federal system for nonviolent crimes. I expect a reporting date somewhere in the early spring.
And of course our listeners know about your fondness for the Eagles, Mr. McFarland. They're going to the big game.
I forgot from two years ago how stressful this two-week period is. You just gotta sit there and stew in your own stress. Two-point underdogs, which is similar to what it was against the Chiefs last time. It's just a little more intimidating when you know Patrick Mahomes is on the other side, but I want everybody to know I'm in this with you. I will share the stress for nine more days.