On Thursday, the Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the next Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The final vote was 53-47, with Senator Mitch McConnell voting against Kennedy’s confirmation. Earlier in the week, McConnell had also opposed the confirmation of Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence.
Kennedy’s confirmation process cleared its final hurdle on Wednesday when the Senate voted in favor of invoking cloture by the same 53-47 margin.
This procedural vote ensured that the nomination would advance to a final vote on the Senate floor. Earlier in February, the Senate Finance Committee had approved Kennedy’s nomination with a narrow 14-13 vote, signaling a closely contested confirmation process.
During the confirmation hearings, Kennedy faced tough questioning from Democratic lawmakers regarding his views on vaccines, an issue that has long been a focal point of his career. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), a physician and staunch advocate for medical freedom, pushed back against what he described as an oversimplified debate on vaccines.
Today, at @RobertKennedyJr‘s HELP hearing, I made it clear that we need medical freedom.
There’s such a belief in submission.
“Submit to the government. Do what you’re told.”