Senate confirms vaccine skeptic RFK as HHS secretary
Vaccine skeptic and environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed to the position of Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Thursday in a hotly contested vote by the Senate that largely split down party lines.
The final vote was 52-48, with all but one Republican voting to confirm Kennedy. All Democrats voted against the nomination, as did the two independents, Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Angus King Jr. (I-ME).
The lone Republican dissenter was Mitch McConnell (R-KY), a polio survivor and vocal supporter of vaccines. McConnell released a statement condemning the Senate’s approval of Kennedy.
“In my lifetime, I’ve watched vaccines save millions of lives from devastating diseases across America and around the world. I will not condone the relitigation of proven cures, and neither will millions of Americans who credit their survival and quality of life to scientific miracles,” McConnell 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,” he added.
During the contentious hearing, Kennedy denied he was against vaccines: “News reports have claimed that I am anti-vaccine or anti-industry. I am neither. I am pro-safety,” he said to the Senate on Jan. 29. At the time, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) was quick to point out past public statements from Kennedy that linked vaccines to autism and chronic illness.
“Mr. Kennedy, all of these things cannot be true,” Wyden said. “So are you lying to Congress today when you say you are pro-vaccine, or did you lie on all those podcasts?”
Later during the hearing, Kennedy pledged to “work within” the current framework for vaccine recommendations and approval while serving as HHS secretary. In the role, Kennedy will be overseeing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
President Donald Trump nominated Kennedy in November, at the time saying the environmental lawyer and health policy contrarian will "restore” HHS, CMS, and the FDA to the “gold standard” of scientific research and make them “beacons of transparency.”
“For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation and disinformation when it comes to public health,” Trump wrote in a November social media post. “The safety and health of all Americans is the most important role of any Administration, and HHS will play a big role in helping ensure that everybody will be protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming health crisis in this country.”
Kennedy begins his role as Secretary immediately. The position of deputy secretary remains vacant at this time.
Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.