Senate Confirms Robert F. Kennedy Jr. As HHS Secretary

On Thursday, the GOP-led Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to become President Donald Trump’s secretary of Health and Human Services, ending a saga in which members grappled with the nominee’s skeptical views on vaccines.

The final vote was 52-48. All but one Republican voted for the Cabinet pick. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), a childhood Polio survivor who had previously warned against undermining public confidence in “proven cures,” was the only GOP lawmaker to break ranks and vote against Kennedy Jr. along with all of the Democrats and the pair of independents who caucus with them.

Kennedy Jr. is the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963; and the son of Robert F. Kennedy, a former U.S. attorney general and U.S. senator who was assassinated in 1968 as he ran for president. Kennedy Jr. ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in the 2024 cycle but later shifted to an independent bid in protest of how the party was conducting the process, including a lack of primary debates. After dropping out, Kennedy Jr. endorsed Trump. He pushed a “Make America Healthy Again” platform in a nod to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” mantra.

In November, Trump picked Kennedy Jr. to lead the Health and Human Services (HHS) Department, saying: “For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health.”

Trump added: “The Safety and Health of all Americans is the most important role of any Administration, and HHS will play a big role in helping ensure that everybody will be protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming Health Crisis in this Country. Mr. Kennedy will restore these Agencies to the traditions of Gold Standard Scientific Research, and beacons of Transparency, to end the Chronic Disease epidemic, and to Make America Great and Healthy Again!”

Kennedy Jr. earned a reputation as an environmental lawyer and best-selling author, but in recent years, he garnered attention for his vaccine skepticism, calling for more testing. During his confirmation hearings, Kennedy denied that he was anti-vaccine and insisted that he was rather “pro-safety.” He also vowed to transfer his financial interest in lawsuits connected to vaccines to his adult son.

A critical breakthrough happened right before Kennedy Jr. advanced out of committee by a 14-13 vote along party lines. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), a doctor who previously said he was “struggling” with the nomination, announced he would support Kennedy after “intense conversations” with the Cabinet pick and the White House over the weekend and right up until the morning of the vote.

“I want to thank [Vice President JD Vance] specifically for his honest counsel. With the serious commitments I’ve received from the administration and the opportunity to make progress on the issues we agree on like healthy foods and a pro-American agenda, I will vote yes,” Cassidy said in a statement.

The Daily Wire exclusively reported that former Vice President Mike Pence’s organization, Advancing American Freedom, had been urging senators to vote against confirming Kennedy Jr. over his past stances in support of abortion. However, Kennedy Jr. seemed to assuage concerns among conservatives with his pledge to abide by Trump’s priorities, which he said included ending late-term abortions and cutting federal funding for the procedures.

By Wednesday, the Senate broke the filibuster on the Kennedy Jr. nomination via a 53-47 vote along party lines. That happened shortly after the Senate confirmed Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democrat who has also clashed with her old party, to become Director of National Intelligence by a 52-48 vote. Like with Kennedy Jr., McConnell was the sole GOP lawmaker to vote against Gabbard’s nomination.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) announced she would vote to confirm Kennedy Jr. despite “concerns” about his “views on vaccines and his selective interpretation of scientific studies, which initially caused my misgivings about his nomination.”

Kennedy Jr. “made numerous commitments to me and my colleagues, promising to work with Congress to ensure public access to information and to base vaccine recommendations on data-driven, evidence-based, and medically sound research,” Murkowski added. “These commitments are important to me and, on balance, provide assurance for my vote.”

On the Democrat side, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) posted to X: “RFK Jr. has made a living not by promoting public health, but by actively fighting to undermine it. To state the very, very obvious: Putting a very wealthy vaccine skeptic and conspiracy theorist in charge of America’s public health would put every single American in danger.”

The Senate has confirmed 15 of Trump’s second-term Cabinet nominees, a process that has been stretched out as Democrats employ a number of delay tactics.

Last week, the Judiciary Committee delayed a vote on Kash Patel’s bid to lead the FBI after Democrats requested a hold. This also happened with Pam Bondi, who has since been confirmed as U.S. Attorney General. Patel’s nomination advanced to the full Senate on Thursday. Other nominees who are still awaiting a confirmation vote include Commerce Secretary nominee Howard Lutnick, Agriculture Secretary pick Brooke Rollins, and Small Business Administration Administrator nominee Kelly Loeffler.