By a party-line vote of 14-13, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is likely to be the next Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services after the Senate Finance Committee voted for him.
A controversial nominee
Kennedy, 71, of the legendary Kennedy family, is an environmental attorney who has been vocal about his vaccine skepticism. His appointment by President Donald Trump has perhaps been one of the most controversial, considering his history of propagating misinformation about vaccines.
Senator Cassidy’s crucial support
Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana and a physician, cast a pivotal vote in favor of Kennedy. Cassidy, who had raised concerns over Kennedy’s anti-vaccine stance, voted to advance the nomination after being reassured. He said, “I’ve had very intense conversations with Bobby and the White House over the weekend and even this morning. I want to thank VP JD [Vance] specifically for his honest counsel.” Cassidy continued to reveal that he based his decision on commitments from the Trump administration, including an ability to work together on their common priorities: the promotion of healthy foods and the advancement of a pro-American agenda.
Bipartisan opposition and support
Democratic senators uniformly opposed his confirmation, citing vaccine skepticism and anti-abortion access that Kennedy has promoted in the past. But perhaps most surprisingly, a letter from his cousin Caroline Kennedy called him a “predator” and urged senators to reject him.
But Kennedy secured support from Republican senators and conservative grassroots advocates – including the “MAHA moms” of his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda – who filled his confirmation hearings.
Commitments and controversies from Kennedy
During his confirmation hearing, Kennedy showed an interest in health safety. He said, “I am pro-safety and I would change my position if I saw the data that persuaded me.” He fumbled through questioning on changes to Medicare and Medicaid-programs used by millions of Americans for care-and even on specifying efforts he would push to help bend the curve downward on health-care costs.
Implications for public health policy
The possible confirmation of Kennedy has raised eyebrows in the biotech and medical communities, especially with regard to vaccine development and public health. Stocks of vaccine manufacturers such as Moderna and BioNTech have fallen, with the future policy outlook uncertain. While Kennedy did try to reassure that he would not stand in the way of access to vaccines, skepticism abounded based on his past record on vaccine safety debates.
What’s next
Confirmation of Kennedy is all but certain given the slim Republican majority in the Senate. As the head of a multi-billion-dollar budget and overseer of major agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration and Medicare, his confirmation might presage sea-change-type changes in the way US health policy is managed. Still, uncertainty and mixed reaction abound in the public health arena.
