RFK Jr. Advances to Full Senate Vote Next Week
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has moved one step closer to being confirmed as the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
The Senate voted 52-47 in favor of advancing RFK Jr.’s nomination to head the Department of Health and Human Services. The final confirmation vote by the full Senate is scheduled for next week.
Earlier this week, the Senate Finance Committee approved Kennedy’s nomination, allowing it to proceed to the full Senate.
Following intense hearings last week, Kennedy’s confirmation was uncertain, particularly after GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a physician, expressed hesitation regarding his support.
On Tuesday, Cassidy announced that he had finalized his decision with input from Vice President J.D. Vance, a former Senate colleague.
“I’ve had very intense conversations with Bobby and the White House over the weekend and even this morning,” Cassidy posted on X.
“I want to thank VP JD 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,” he stated.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) emphasized Kennedy’s potential to bring essential reforms.
“Mr. Kennedy, if confirmed, will have the opportunity to deliver much-needed change to our nation’s health care system,” Crapo told the New York Post. “He has spent his career fighting to end America’s chronic illness epidemic and has been a leading advocate for health care transparency, both for patients and for taxpayers.”
Crapo further noted that RFK Jr. responded to over 900 questions from the committee.
Cassidy’s concerns stemmed from Kennedy’s opposition to vaccines and his past remarks linking vaccines to autism, as reported by NBC.
Meanwhile, an organization founded by former Vice President Mike Pence launched a campaign late last month urging Republican senators to reject Kennedy’s nomination for the position.
Pence, who served as Trump’s vice president during his first term, opposes Kennedy’s nomination due to his past stance on abortion.
“Whatever the merits of RFK Jr’s Make America Healthy Again initiative—indeed, whatever other qualities a nominee might possess—an HHS Secretary must have a firm commitment to protect unborn children, or else bend under the pressure and pushback surrounding these daily, critical decisions,” wrote Advancing American Freedom President Tim Chapman and Board Chairman Marc Short, Pence’s former chief of staff, in a letter to senators.
“While RFK Jr. has made certain overtures to pro-life leaders that he would be mindful of their concerns at HHS, there is little reason for confidence at this time,” they continued.
This is the second official effort by Pence’s organization to oppose Kennedy’s confirmation. Shortly after Trump announced Kennedy’s nomination, Pence issued a statement urging senators to reject him due to his previous abortion-related positions, according to The Hill.
Kennedy initially entered the 2024 presidential race as a Democrat and had supported an abortion ban after the first trimester, but he later revised his stance. He also opposed abortion restrictions before fetal viability, which is generally around 24 weeks.
On his campaign website, Kennedy stated he was “a firm supporter of the principles laid out 50 years ago in Roe v. Wade” and that “if the courts do not overturn Dobbs v. Jackson and restore abortion rights, he will support legislation to accomplish the same.”
To reassure Republicans, Kennedy clarified that his personal views would not influence his role and that he would implement all anti-abortion policies from Trump’s first administration if confirmed.