Senate confirms RFK Jr. as HHS secretary
Key takeaways:
- The Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be the next U.S. health secretary.
- As HHS secretary, Kennedy will have broad powers to oversee health care in the U.S.
The Senate voted Thursday to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be the next HHS secretary.
The vote to confirm was 52-48, with former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky the only Republican to vote no.
Kennedy, an environmental lawyer, faced tough questioning in two Senate confirmation hearings about his familiarity with Medicare and Medicaid and his history of pushing anti-science claims about the safety of vaccines, which Democrats cited in arguments against his confirmation and experts have told Healio should disqualify him from running HHS. Kennedy’s stated goals of reducing chronic diseases and making food healthier have broader support.
As expected, Louisiana’s Bill Cassidy, MD, a physician who was seen as a potential swing vote against Kennedy’s nomination, was among the “yea” votes. Cassidy has publicly criticized Kennedy for his anti-vaccine stances but announced last week that he would vote to confirm him after receiving “serious commitments” from the Trump administration that it would protect vaccines.
Among the promises, Cassidy said he received assurances that the CDC would not remove statements on its website noting that vaccines do not cause autism. Kennedy has long supported scientifically disproven claims saying just that.
In statements before the vote, Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden said Americans have been given “no reason to believe” that Kennedy is qualified to be HHS secretary and urged Republicans to vote no.
Idaho Republican Mike Crapo voiced his support, vowing that Kennedy would “end the chronic disease epidemic” and encouraging his colleagues to vote yes.
In a statement, the Infectious Diseases Society of America called the confirmation “an important opportunity to reaffirm the longstanding, overwhelming and settled science regarding the safety and efficacy of vaccines, which remain our best defense against many serious infectious diseases.
“We look forward to working with lawmakers to hold Secretary Kennedy to his promise to maintain our nation’s vaccine approval and safety framework, including the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the Vaccines for Children program and other public health vaccine programs,” IDSA president Tina Tan, MD, FIDSA, FPIDS, FAAP, said in the statement.