Kennedy moves closer to top health job after clearing Senate panel
WASHINGTON: Robert F Kennedy Jr, President Donald Trump's pick for health secretary, moved closer to securing the job on Tuesday (Feb 4), winning approval from a key Republican senator and a recommendation from the Finance Committee to advance him to a full Senate vote as soon as this week.
The Republican-led committee voted 14-13 along party lines with Democrats having accused Kennedy over two days of contentious confirmation hearings of being financially vested in the anti-vaccine movement and peddling conspiracy theories to sow doubt about lifesaving medicines - assertions Kennedy rejected.
If confirmed in the full Senate, he will run the US Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees more than US$3 trillion in healthcare spending, including agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration and the agency in charge of Medicare and Medicaid health programs that provide health insurance for over 140 million Americans.
Kennedy has faced opposition from health groups, Democrats, family members and the Wall Street Journal and New York Post editorial boards, who say he is unfit for the job because of his role in the anti-vaccine movement.
Kennedy has long sown doubts about the safety and efficacy of vaccines that have helped curb disease and prevent deaths for decades. He disputes the anti-vaccine characterization and has said he would not prevent Americans from getting inoculations.
Before the vote on Tuesday, Republican committee member Bill Cassidy, a medical doctor who also chairs the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, was seen as a potential swing vote against Kennedy after he said during a confirmation hearing last week that he was struggling with the decision.
As the vote was occurring, Cassidy posted on social media platform X that he had "very intense conversations" with Kennedy and the White House over the weekend and Tuesday morning.
"I want to thank VP JD (Vice President JD Vance) specifically for his honest counsel," Cassidy added. "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."
Now, Kennedy needs the support of at least 50 senators, which would allow Vance to cast a tie-breaking vote to confirm his nomination.
The Republican-controlled Senate has not rejected any of Trump's nominees so far. His controversial defense secretary pick, Pete Hegseth, squeaked by in a 51-50 vote after Vance was needed to break a tie in January.
The Senate Intelligence Committee is due on Tuesday to vote behind closed doors on former US Representative Tulsi Gabbard's nomination to become director of national intelligence, another Trump nominee facing an uncertain path to confirmation.
