Senate Advances RFK Jr. HHS Nomination Toward Confirmation

The Senate on Wednesday advanced President Donald Trump's nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the Department of Health and Human Services, setting up a likely vote on awarding him the position in coming days.

The Senate voted 53-47 along party lines to limit debate on Kennedy's nomination amid staunch opposition from Democrats and many public health experts, largely because of his record over several decades opposing vaccines, including those with long records of safety and efficacy.

Before the official vote, moderate Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, has announced she will support RFK Jr.'s nomination.

"I intend to support Robert Kennedy Jr.'s confirmation as Secretary of Health and Human Services," she wrote on X as the vote advanced to debate.

"While there is no dispute that the U.S. spends more per capita on healthcare than any other country, our health outcomes do not reflect this investment. Instead of focusing on who covers our exorbitant healthcare 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. Chronic conditions are a significant source of illness and major drivers of public debt; he recognizes this and is committed to addressing it."

Kennedy has drawn opposition over remarks in which he asserted that COVID was genetically engineered to target Caucasians and Black people, while sparing Jewish and Chinese people.

If confirmed, as expected, by the Republican-controlled Senate, Kennedy, 71, would head the nation's top health agency that oversees agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It also is in charge of the Medicare and Medicaid health insurance programs for the elderly, the poor and disabled people.

Kennedy briefly ran for president in 2023, seeking the Democrat nomination, only to switch to running as an independent before ending his campaign and endorsing Trump.

During his confirmation hearings, Kennedy worked to assure senators that he now backs vaccination efforts, telling the Senate Finance Committee that they "play a critical role in healthcare" and noting that his children are vaccinated.

Kennedy, a former environmental lawyer, is the son of former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968 while seeking the Democratic Party nomination for president.