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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is on his way to Make America Healthy Again.
The United States Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Thursday morning to lead the Department of Health and Human Services by a vote of 52 to 48.
Kennedy’s confirmation is a watershed moment in the federal government’s role in the health of the American people, likely the most significant development since the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010.
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), the face of waning Senate Republican recalcitrance to Trump, was the lone Republican voting against his nomination, joining 47 Democrats. He also opposed Trump’s now-confirmed choices to lead the Pentagon and Director of National Intelligence, Pete Hegseth and Tulsi Gabbard, respectively.
“Mr. Kennedy failed to prove he is the best possible person to lead America’s largest health agency,” McConnell said to cap a typical longwinded statement. “As he takes office, I sincerely hope Mr. Kennedy will choose not to sow further doubt and division but to restore trust in our public health institutions.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has ushered through Trump’s nominees at a historic clip, with Kennedy Trump’s sixteenth confirmed nominee.
By February 13, 2017, in Trump’s first administration, a GOP Senate – with McConnell as Majority Leader – had only confirmed eleven nominees, with the sixteenth nominee not coming until March 1.
And by that date in 2021, the Senate had only confirmed seven of President Joe Biden’s nominees, not reaching sixteen until March 10.
The Senate is likely to confirm Brooke Rollins as Agriculture Saturday later Thursday, which would mark the seventeenth of Trump’s nominees confirmed by the Senate.
Kennedy’s skepticism of the scientific consensus on vaccines led to initial skepticism of the viability of his nomination. But in private meetings with Senators and during his confirmation hearings, Kennedy assuaged those concerns.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), a moderate who has often bucked Trump, expressed concerns with Kennedy’s vaccine skepticism but supported his nomination.
“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,” she said in a statement. “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.”
Murkowski cited Kennedy’s commitment to driving down healthcare costs and pursuing prevention as part of his appeal, as well as the groundswell of support from Alaskans who had contacted her office in support of the nomination.
“Chronic conditions are a significant source of illness and major drivers of public debt; he recognizes this and is committed to addressing it,” she said.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), a medical doctor and another at-times Trump critic, was perhaps the key vote to ensuring Kennedy’s nomination.
As Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee tasked with reporting Kennedy’s nomination to the full Senate, Cassidy’s opposition almost certainly would have prevented Kennedy’s nomination from advancing to the floor. Cassidy and Kennedy held multiple private conversations, with Vice President JD Vance serving as a key intermediary and advocate for Kennedy.
Cassidy ultimately supported Kennedy in committee in a strict party line vote that referred Kennedy to the Senate by a single vote. Cassidy then supported Kennedy on the Senate floor.
“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,” Cassidy said in a statement before his vote.
Bradley Jaye is Deputy Political Editor for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter and Instagram @BradleyAJaye.
