by Catherine Salgado
In another win for the Trump administration and the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, The Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the next Department of Health and Human Services secretary.
Kennedy reached the 51-vote threshold for confirmation on a mostly party-line vote. Former Senate Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) voted no.
The Senate Finance Committee voted to advance the nomination on Tuesday morning, 53-47, after Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) announced he would support Kennedy,
Ahead of casting the tie-breaking vote to invoke cloture, Cassidy, a physician, wrote on X, “I’ve had very intense conversations with Bobby and the White House over the weekend and even this morning,” he said. “I want to thank VP JD [Vance] 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.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said ahead of Wednesday’s procedural vote, “Mr. Kennedy promises to make HHS a collaborative, transparent and science-driven agency under his leadership.”
After meeting with Kennedy, Moderate Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) told CNN that Kennedy “seemed to understand the concerns that I was raising about what it would mean for more very important ongoing biomedical research, including clinical trials.”
Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), also considered a swing vote, told The Hill, “Instead of focusing on who covers our exorbitant health care costs, we need to reduce these costs by directing our attention to prevention and keeping people healthy. This is the appeal of RFK, and many Alaskans have shared that view with me.”
Ahead of the confirmation vote, Dr. Robert Malone, medical expert and inventor, called RFK “one of the most talented and honest people ever to want to serve our government.”
Fellow physician Peter McCullough said, “Robert F. Kennedy Jr. represents a threat to lucrative food and pharmaceutical industry corruption with our government agencies.”
Democrats spent Wednesday night railing against Kennedy on the Senate floor.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) claimed that Kennedy “is not remotely qualified to become the next secretary of Health and Human Services.”
“Robert F. Kennedy might be the least qualified people [sic] the president could have chosen for the job,” he added. “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.”
Some Republicans had raised concerns about Kennedy, including the fact that he had been pro-abortion in the past, but Kennedy promised to uphold Trump‘s pro-life policies.
I can’t wait to see how this changes our food packaging in grocery aisles.
Some foods, as they are now, really ought to carry “Warning!” labels.
We’ve been impressed by how easily some food producers have fixed some products, even before he got confirmed.
They’ve just had no incentive.
Dr. Facet Face needed to be replaced anyway