US Senate narrowly confirms RFK Jr as health secretary

The Senate narrowly confirmed Robert F Kennedy Jr, 1 of President Donald Trump's astir arguable furniture picks, to caput the Health and Human Services section Thursday.

The erstwhile statesmanlike campaigner volition present oversee cardinal wellness agencies with astir 80,000 employees and a trillion-dollar budget. Lawmakers connected some sides of the aisle had questioned his baseless wellness claims and vaccine scepticism.

But connected Thursday, Kennedy was confirmed by a ballot of 52-48. No Democrats backed him. Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was the lone Republican to ballot against Kennedy.

His confirmation marks different triumph for Trump arsenic helium seeks to rapidly overhaul astir each level of government.

The Senate is putting successful precocious nights and aboriginal mornings arsenic they hurry to circular retired the president's furniture by confirming his remaining nominees. Lawmakers besides approved Brooke Rollins arsenic caput of the Department of Agriculture by a ballot of 72-28.

Kennedy is the 2nd arguable furniture prime to beryllium confirmed this week aft Tulsi Gabbard, different contested pick, was confirmed arsenic manager of National Intelligence successful a constrictive Senate ballot connected Wednesday.

He volition present oversee agencies specified arsenic 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 volition besides beryllium charged with overseeing the US wellness manufacture which includes nutrient safety, pharmaceuticals, nationalist wellness and vaccinations. He ran for the White House himself successful 2024 arsenic an independent, but dropped retired and backed Trump.

The president's determination to pat Kennedy to pb the national wellness bureau drew scepticism among respective Republicans. Many questioned Kennedy's past comments casting uncertainty connected immunisations, his ties to groups making unsubstantiated wellness claims and his views connected abortion.

Kennedy is the laminitis of the anti-vaccine radical Children's Health Defense, which gained prominence successful the US for casting uncertainty connected the information and efficacy of puerility vaccinations and making the discredited assertion that the shots are linked to autism.

Kennedy, the nephew of erstwhile President John F Kennedy, has denied that helium is anti-vaccination, pointing to the information that his ain children are immunised. He insisted during his confirmation hearings that helium simply supports much stringent studies and information tests for injections.

Some Republicans person praised Kennedy for his disapproval implicit the usage of nutrient additives and propulsion to curb large pharma.

During the hearings, lawmakers besides grilled Kennedy connected his promotion of wellness misinformation and cognition of the US healthcare system.

He was asked to explicate his stance connected abortion, arsenic helium antecedently indicated that helium was successful favour of termination rights. He responded by telling lawmakers helium agreed with Trump that entree to termination should beryllium controlled by idiosyncratic states and that "every termination is simply a tragedy".

The speech drew scrutiny from Democrats who accused Kennedy of "selling out" his pro-choice values successful bid to unafraid President Trump's nomination.

One of his hearings was interrupted by shouting protesters. But helium besides received large applause erstwhile promising to marque America steadfast again, a slogan utilized by Trump's administration.

Ahead of the hearing, Caroline Kennedy - the relative of Robert F Kennedy Jr - urged US senators to cull him arsenic the adjacent wellness and quality services secretary. She said Kennedy's views connected vaccines disqualify him from the relation of being 1 of America's starring wellness policymakers.

Yet it wasn't capable to dissuade respective Republicans, who antecedently withheld their enactment from Kennedy but coiled up approving his information during Thursday's vote.

Many eyes were connected Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican, who chairs the Senate Health Committee.

Cassidy, a doctor, antecedently indicated that helium was struggling with Kennedy's stance connected vaccines. He voted to corroborate Kennedy connected Thursday.

"We request to marque America steadfast again, and it is my anticipation that Secretary Kennedy volition get this done," Cassidy posted connected X aft the vote.

Others intimately watched McConnell, a Kennedy professional and polio survivor. McConnell had warned Kennedy not to undermine the polio vaccine.

He voted against confirmation connected Thursday.

"Individuals, parents, and families person a close to propulsion for a healthier federation and request the champion imaginable technological guidance connected preventing and treating illness," McConnell said successful a statement. "But a grounds of trafficking successful unsafe conspiracy theories and eroding spot successful nationalist wellness institutions does not entitle Mr. Kennedy to pb these important efforts."

The Senate continues moving guardant with Trump's nominees. After confirming Kennedy, lawmakers are expected to beforehand the information of Howard Lutnick arsenic the adjacent Secretary of Commerce.

This tees up the last ballot for his confirmation to instrumentality spot by the extremity of the week.

Lawmakers are besides expected to instrumentality up the information of Kash Patel, Trump's arguable prime to pb the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), aft the prime received support from a cardinal committee connected Thursday.