The Senate Finance Committee has voted to advance Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination for Director of Health and Human Services under President Donald Trump’s administration.
The vote was narrowly decided at 14 to 13, with a final confirmation vote still pending before the full Senate.
During last week’s hearings, Kennedy faced intense questioning from both Democratic and Republican senators on various issues, including his past statements on vaccines and his stance on abortion.
BREAKING: Robert Kennedy advances out of the Senate Finance Committee to become HHS Secretary with a vote of 14-13.
— Leading Report (@LeadingReport) February 4, 2025
Some GOP senators inquired whether he would hire pro-life staffers at HHS, to which Kennedy responded that he agreed with Trump in viewing every abortion as a tragedy and confirmed that he would bring pro-life staffers into the department.
Several Democratic senators, including Ron Wyden, Maria Cantwell, and Raphael Warnock, strongly opposed Kennedy’s nomination, particularly over his views on vaccines. They criticized his responses during the hearings, calling him “unqualified” for the position.
Kennedy, who has a history of questioning vaccine safety, was accused of being anti-vaccine. However, he repeatedly denied the label, asserting that he supports vaccines but advocates for rigorous safety testing and careful policymaking.
When Senator Wyden challenged him over his past statements on the measles vaccine, Kennedy defended himself by citing a case in Samoa where two children died following the MMR vaccine, leading to a significant drop in vaccination rates.
He clarified, “I support the measles vaccine, I support the polio vaccine, and I will do nothing as HHS secretary that makes it difficult or discourages people from taking either of those vaccines.”
Kennedy initially ran as an independent in the 2024 presidential election but later aligned himself with Trump’s platform, frequently using the phrase “Make America Healthy Again” alongside Trump’s signature “Make America Great Again” slogan.
A crucial vote in advancing Kennedy’s nomination came from Senator Bill Cassidy, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Cassidy, who has a background as a physician and also sits on the Senate Finance Committee, questioned Kennedy on vaccine-related issues during the hearings.
I’ve had very intense conversations with Bobby and the White House over the weekend and even this morning. 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…
— U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (@SenBillCassidy) February 4, 2025
Ahead of the vote, Cassidy took to X (formerly Twitter) to explain his decision: “I’ve had very intense conversations with Bobby and the White House over the weekend and even this morning. 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.”
With Kennedy now advancing to a final confirmation vote, all eyes are on the Senate to see whether he will officially be appointed to lead HHS under the Trump administration.