Robert F Kennedy Jr is one of President Donald Trump’s most controversial cabinet picks, who was sworn in as the next U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.
The former presidential candidate will now be responsible for key health agencies with about 80,000 employees and a trillion-dollar budget. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle questioned his unfounded health claims and vaccine suspicion.
Kennedy voted 52-48 on Thursday. No Democrats support him. Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is the only Republican who opposes Kennedy.
Trump swears in the Oval Office Kennedy, which marks another victory for the president as he tries to quickly overhaul nearly all levels of administration.
The Senate is late at night and in the morning as they are eager to confirm their remaining candidates to round up the president’s cabinet. Legislators also approved Brooke Rollins as head of the Department of Agriculture by a 72-28 vote.
Kennedy is the second controversial cabinet pick this week, after another controversial draft pick Tulsi Gabbard was identified as director of the National Intelligence Agency in a narrow Senate vote on Wednesday.
Now, he will oversee institutions such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Kennedy will also oversee the U.S. health industry, including food safety, medicines, public health and vaccination. He ran to the White House himself as an independent in 2024 but withdrew and supported Trump.
The president’s decision to use Kennedy to lead the Federal Health Service has aroused the suspicion of several Republicans. Many question Kennedy’s past comments on immunization, his connections to groups that make unconfirmed health claims and their perceptions about abortion.
Kennedy is the founder of the anti-vaccine group’s Child Health Defense, a defense that has raised doubts about the safety and effectiveness of childhood vaccinations in the United States and expresses stigma that it has to do with autism.
Kennedy, the nephew of former President John F Kennedy, denied that he was anti-vaccine contact, pointing out that his children were immune. He insisted at the confirmation hearing that he simply supported rigorous research and safety testing of the injections.
Some Republicans praised Kennedy for using food additives and pushed for curbing large-scale pharmaceuticals.
During the hearing, lawmakers also developed Kennedy’s knowledge on promoting health status and understanding the U.S. health care system.
He was asked to explain his position on abortion because he had previously stated that he was in favor of the right to abortion. His response was to tell lawmakers that he agreed with Trump’s agreement that abortion should be controlled by various countries, “every abortion is a tragedy.”
The exchange reviewed Democrats who accused Kennedy of “selling” his choice values to secure President Trump’s nomination.
One of his hearings was interrupted by yelling protesters. But he also received loud applause when the slogans used by the Trump administration made the United States healthy again.
Before the hearing, Robert F Kennedy Jr’s cousin Caroline Kennedy urged U.S. senators to reject him as the next Secretary of Health and Human Services. Kennedy’s perception of the vaccine has lost his role as one of the leading health decision makers in the United States, she said.
Dissuading several Republicans to reject Kennedy’s support before, but approving his nomination during Thursday’s vote wasn’t enough.
Republican Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy chaired the Senate Health Committee.
Doctor Cassidy has previously shown that he is working to fight Kennedy’s position on the vaccine. He voted to confirm Kennedy.
Cassidy posted on X after the vote.
Others are closely following Kennedy critic and polio survivor McConnell. McConnell warned Kennedy not to destroy the polio vaccine.
He voted against confirmation.
“Individuals, parents and families have the right to advance a healthier country and require the best scientific guidance for the prevention and treatment of diseases,” McConnell said in a statement. “However, the conspiracy theories of trafficking and The record of eroding the trust of public health agencies has not given Mr. Kennedy the authority to lead these important efforts.”
The Senate continues to move forward with Trump’s nominee. After confirming Kennedy, lawmakers are expected to advance Howard Lutnick’s nomination for the next chamber of commerce.
This final vote for him to confirm at the end of the weekend.
After Thursday’s draft pick was approved by a key committee, lawmakers are also expected to accept Trump’s controversial choice to lead the FBI nomination.
Trump’s choice to be in charge of the education department, and Linda McMahon also held a confirmation hearing Thursday.
