Robert Kennedy Jr. was confirmed by the Senate to lead the Department of Health and Human Services despite liberal outcry over his qualifications and past anti-vaccine comments.
It came after a blistering confirmation process that even left some Republicans wary – but with President Donald Trump’s backing he got enough votes to be confirmed 52-48.
Longtime Trump foe Sen. Mitch McConnell, 82, was the only Republican to vote against RFK Jr. He also voted ‘no’ on Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence and Pete Hegseth for Pentagon chief.
Trump tapped the 70-year-old former Democrat to be the country’s top health official with the mandate to ‘Make America Healthy Again.’
But Kennedy was put under the microscope ahead of the vote for his past controversial stances on vaccinations, abortion and for promoting conspiracy theories.
The vote came after Kennedy cleared a procedural hurdle early Wednesday where senators voted directly along party lines to advance his nomination.
But his entire confirmation path was rocky as the nominee faced pushback from Democrats who accused him of being anti-vaccine and anti-science.
Some members of his famous Kennedy family also came out against his confirmation with scathing attacks on his character.
But Kennedy and Trump struck up a relationship which paid off after the onetime Democratic and then Independent presidential candidate dropped out of the 2024 presidential race and endorsed Trump last summer.
Trump named his one-time critic his pick to be the country’s top health official just days after the November election.
Robert Kennedy Jr. testifying before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on January 30. He was confirmed in the Senate February 13 in a 52-48 vote
The president looking on as Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch swears in RFK Jr. as Health and Human Services Secretary in the Oval Office on January 13
McConnell addressed his oppose to Kennedy on Thursday where he brought up his own experience with a vaccine-preventable disease and said Kennedy ‘failed to prove he is the best possible person to lead America’s largest health agency.’
‘I’m a survivor of childhood polio. In my lifetime, I’ve watched vaccines save millions of lives from devastating diseases across America and around the world,’ the former Republican Senate leader said. ‘I will not condone the re-litigation of proven cures, and neither will millions of Americans who credit their survival and quality of life to scientific miracles.’
‘Individuals, parents, and families have a right to push for a healthier nation and demand the best possible scientific guidance on preventing and treating illness. But a record of trafficking in dangerous conspiracy theories and eroding trust in public health institutions does not entitle Mr. Kennedy to lead these important efforts,’ he continued.
Trump hugs Kennedy at the White House on Thursday afternoon after he was confirmed as HHS secretary in the Senate
Trump kissing Kennedy’s wife Cheryl Hines at the White House after her husband was sworn in
Leading up to Thursday’s vote, several other Republican senators had also still not shared their plans, but in the end every other GOP member came around to Kennedy.
Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) announced Wednesday afternoon that she would support him with a lengthy statement in which she noted the U.S. spends more on healthcare per capita than other countries but without better health outcomes.
‘Instead of focusing on who covers our exorbitant healthcare costs, we need to reduce these costs by directing our attention to prevention and keeping people healthy,’ she said. ‘This is the appeal of RFK, and many Alaskans have shared that view with me.’
Murkowski said she still has concerns about Kennedy’s views on vaccines and his ‘selective interpretation of scientific studies, which initially caused my misgivings about his nomination.’
She said Kennedy made ‘numerous commitments’ to her and 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.’
Kennedy with his wife Cheryl Hines arriving for his confirmation hearing on January 29 before the Senate Finance Committee
Senator Mitch McConnell (pictured Jan 12) was the lone Republican to vote against RFK Jr.’s confirmation. He said the nominee failed to prove he was the best person to lead the country’s largest health agency
Sen. Bill Cassidy, a physician, had major concerns with Kennedy’s ever-changing position on vaccines but in the end he voted to advance the nominee out of committee and to confirm him in the full Senate vote
Kennedy needed the support of every Republican on the Senate Finance Committee for his nomination to advance out of committee last week.
The nomination barely squeaked through with every Republican voted in favor of advancing his nomination while every Democrat voted against it.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, a physician, had major concerns with Kennedy’s ever-changing position on vaccines, but in the end, he was convinced by Kennedy and MAGA allies to back the known vaccine skeptic.
‘Mr. Kennedy and the administration committed that he and I would have an unprecedentedly close, collaborative working relationship if he is confirmed,’ Cassidy said on the floor of the Senate after advancing his nomination.
‘We will meet or speak multiple times a month. This collaboration will allow us to work well together and therefore to be more effective,’ Cassidy claimed.
President Donald Trump ‘s Cabinet pick Robert Kennedy Jr. squeaked through to advance his nomination for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services
Anti-Kennedy protesters on January 29 holding signs outside UCLA on the day as his confirmation hearing
Kennedy faces two brutal confirmation hearings last month on Capitol Hill.
The first was before the Senate Finance Committee where lawmakers raised his past anti-vaccine work, and he was slammed by Democrats for promoting conspiracy theories.
Senators also raised questions about how he would handle Medicare and Medicaid and expressed concerns after he appeared to confuse key details about the programs.
Some Republican senators also pressed him for reassurances about his stance on abortion after the former Democrat previously said he was pro-abortion rights and completely reversed course after throwing his support behind Trump.
Kennedy assured Republicans he would leave the issue of abortion access to states and follow Trump’s lead.
One day later, Kennedy went before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee for a second hearing.
In both hearings, Kennedy insisted he was pro-vaccine and pro-science and would follow the data.
But some lawmakers were not convinced as Kennedy refused to state the data was already there leaving room for doubt.
Cassidy, who chairs the HELP Committee, grilled Kennedy over his stance on vaccines and pressed him to deny there were a link between vaccines and autism, but Kennedy would not unequivocally say it.
At the end of the hearing, the senator said he was ‘struggling’ with Kennedy’s over his past statements which undermined confidence in childhood vaccines.
Kennedy was not Trump’s only controversial nominee to be confirmed in the Senate this week.
Former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard was also confirmed as Director of National Intelligence with a vote 52 to 48.
Every Democrat voted against her confirmation along with Senator Mitch McConnell, who was the lone Republican to vote ‘no.’
