Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was sworn in as head of the Department of Health and Human Services Thursday after the Senate confirmed him earlier in the day, delivering another win for President Donald Trump despite intense opposition to Kennedy rooted in his long history of anti-vaccine activism and controversial public health positions. During his confirmation hearings, Kennedy also raised concerns about his understanding of the Medicare and Medicaid programs he will now oversee.
Kennedy has waged a campaign to “Make America Healthy Again,” including a focus on chronic illness and improved food safety and nutrition. He’ll now lead a vast healthcare bureaucracy, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
As with yesterday’s vote to confirm Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence, Thursday’s vote on Kennedy’s nomination was 52-48, largely along party lines, with Sen. Mitch McConnell again the lone Republican to join with Democrats in voting against the nominee. McConnell has now voted against three of Trump’s Cabinet picks. On Thursday, he issued a scathing statement saying that Kennedy’s record of “trafficking in dangerous conspiracy theories and eroding trust in public health institutions” does not qualify him to lead efforts to make America healthier.
“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. 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,” McConnell said. “Mr. Kennedy failed to prove he is the best possible person to lead America’s largest health agency. As he takes office, I sincerely hope Mr. Kennedy will choose not to sow further doubt and division but to restore trust in our public health institutions.”
During his confirmation hearings, Kennedy denied being anti-vaccine and said he is “pro-safety.”
An analysis published last year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that routine childhood vaccinations will prevent more than 500 million illnesses and more than 1.1 million deaths, saving $2.7 trillion, among children born from 1994 through 2023.
Trump racking up wins: The Senate also confirmed conservative lawyer Brooke Rollins as secretary of agriculture in a 72-28 vote, bringing the total number of Cabinet members confirmed to 16. The Senate also voted to advance Howard Lutnick’s nomination for commerce secretary. And the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the nomination of Kash Patel to lead the FBI in a 12-10 party-line vote. Patel’s nomination will be taken up by the full Senate as early as next week.