RFK Jr. overcomes odds, is confirmed as HHS secretary

The Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, sweeping aside concerns about his past vaccine skepticism to let him “go wild” on health under President Trump.

The 52-48 vote capped a run of success for Mr. Trump’s most polarizing nominees and placed the heir of a Democratic political family in a vital job within a Republican administration. Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican who had polio as a child, voted no alongside all Democrats.

Other GOP senators championed the nominee.

“Mr. Kennedy is committed to reorienting our approach to health care and restoring faith in our institutions,” Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, Idaho Republican, said. “His passion for addressing America’s chronic disease epidemic will save lives, reduce costs and establish a foundation for a healthier, stronger country.”

HHS is a sprawling agency with a $1.7 trillion budget and oversight of food and drugs, disease-fighting efforts and major insurance programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.

Mr. Kennedy built his career as an environmental lawyer, activist and chairman of the anti-vaccine Children’s Health Defense, making him an unusual pick after a run of HHS secretaries that included former congressmen and a pharmaceutical executive.

Yet Mr. Kennedy built a diverse coalition of support during his confirmation battle, including conservatives skeptical of the government’s narratives during the COVID-19 crisis and liberal “crunchy granola moms” who sought natural alternatives to some drugs or consumer products.

He’s vowed to end the cozy relationship between drug companies and U.S. officials who regulate them, while combatting additives in the food supply and finding the root causes of disease.

One of Mr. Kennedy’s first moves could be to remove legions of workers from certain agencies within HHS, or entire offices from places like the Food and Drug Administration. He’s also proposed shifting resources away from infectious disease-fighting and toward research that promotes general health.

Republican senators found that platform, combined with Mr. Trump’s clout, hard to ignore, especially as audience members loudly applauded him in hearing rooms on Capitol Hill.

Still, Mr. Kennedy’s past comments on vaccines, particularly an unproven link to autism, sparked alarm.

The nominee said he wanted to ensure there is good safety data on vaccines, although some senators felt he was churning settled science.

He also raised eyebrows by suggesting towns should no longer add fluoride to drinking water. Dentists say it is essential for preventing cavities in children, though critics of added fluoride say the mineral is available elsewhere and high levels of fluoride have been linked to lower IQ.

Democrats said Mr. Kennedy can’t be trusted.

“When a nominee comes before the Senate who is obviously unqualified, who is obviously fringe, whose views are obviously detrimental to the wellbeing of the American people, senators have a duty to reject them and to tell the president to send us someone better,” Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, said. “It’s almost as if Mr. Kennedy’s beliefs, history, and background were tailor-made to be the exact opposite of what the job demands.”

Mr. Kennedy’s nomination seemed tenuous at best weeks ago. From the right, conservatives like former Vice President Mike Pence said Mr. Kennedy could not be trusted to promote pro-life policies, while pharmaceutical stocks dropped given Mr. Kennedy’s past comments on vaccines and focus on healthy lifestyles instead of miracle drugs.

Yet like other Trump picks, Mr. Kennedy muscled through his confirmation battle and got to the finish line.

Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard was confirmed as director of national intelligence moments before the Kennedy test vote, and Pete Hegseth was confirmed weeks ago as defense secretary with a tie-breaking vote from Vice President J.D. Vance.

Mr. McConnell has been a notable voice of dissent. He’s voted against Mr. Hegseth, Ms. Gabbard and Mr. Kennedy, drawing a rebuke from the White House.

“I think we’re greatly disappointed in any Republican who chooses willfully to vote against the president’s exceptionally qualified Cabinet nominees and picks to lead his America First administration,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday.

Mr. McConnell, explaining his vote against Mr. Kennedy, said his experience with polio as a child underscored the importance of vaccines.

“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,” he said. “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.”

Mr. Kennedy, son of the late Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, ran for president as a Democrat and then switched to an independent in the 2024 race. He dropped out and backed Mr. Trump.

The president repaid that support by nominating Mr. Kennedy to HHS and encouraging senators to fall in line behind him.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, Louisiana Republican, said he got an unusual commitment from Mr. Kennedy to coordinate on health messaging and avoid actions that would cast doubt on common vaccines.

Another potential holdout, Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, said Monday she got Mr. Kennedy to take a closer look at Trump-led efforts to cap “indirect costs” that are linked to grants from the National Institutes of Health. She said the cap was arbitrary and would lead to job losses.

Mr. Kennedy “has promised that as soon as he is confirmed, he will re-examine this initiative that was implemented prior to his confirmation,” Ms. Collins said.