Was Robert Kennedy Jr confirmed as HHS Secretary?
Update: Robert F. Kennedy was confirmed as the Secretary of HHS on Thursday, Feb. 13. Read more here.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is one step away from being in charge of the nation's health.
The Senate Finance Committee voted Feb. 4 to advance Kennedy, who has faced intense scrutiny over his past anti-vaccine statements. The key swing vote putting Kennedy over the edge was Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., a physician who fell in line with the Republican majority and voted for Kennedy despite raising reservations about Kennedy's position on vaccines.
"I’ve had very intense conversations with Bobby and the White House over the weekend and even this morning," Cassidy said in a statement posted on X before the vote. "I want to thank VP JD 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."
Known for having controversial takes on vaccines, Kennedy's selection was met with criticism from many Democrats, and all voted against him. The vote was 14-13.
He now faces a full Senate vote. There, assuming all Democrats give him a thumbs down, he'll need all but three Republican votes. If he gets that, he'll be in charge of the Health and Human Services agency.
When will the Senate vote on RFK Jr?
After clearing the first big hurdle, he still has one more to go. The Senate is scheduled to vote Thursday, Feb. 13.
What is HHS?
According to its website, "The mission of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is to enhance the health and well-being of all Americans, by providing for effective health and human services and by fostering sound, sustained advances in the sciences underlying medicine, public health, and social services."
— USA Today contributed to this report