Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation hearings made clear that he is unqualified to be HHS secretary even beyond his positions on vaccines, writes Dr. Georges C. Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association.

Kennedy's condition is called spasmodic dysphonia, which is a neurologic disorder that can affect the voice and speech by causing the muscles that generate a person’s voice to go into periods of spasm, according to Penn Medicine. It is a lifelong condition, but can be improved with treatment in some cases, according to Penn Medicine.

Spasmodic dysphonia is a rare neurological disorder that causes involuntary spasms in the vocal cords, making speech strained, breathy, or hoarse.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said vaccines are not safe. His support for abortion access has made conservatives uncomfortable.

One of the hottest topics in the coverage of his confirmation hearing was RFK Jr.'s unusually gruff speaking voice. But the raspy sound to his voice is not the result of an infection or respiratory condition;