Trump Health Secretary nominee RFK Jr clears Senate Finance Committee confirmation vote
2025-02-04
Category: political

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will advance to the next step in his effort to become Donald Trump's Health and Human Services Secretary. The vaccine skeptic and environmental crusader who ran for the White House in 2024 before ending his bid and endorsing Trump sustained his bid for a cabinet position in the 47th president's administration. The 27-member panel of 14 Republicans and 13 Democrats on the Senate finance committee approved Kennedy's advancement by a party line vote of 14-13. Kennedy's controversial nomination has progressed slowly as the president's other choices have been moving through the upper chamber and several have been confirmed and sworn in. Even Trump's controversial Defense Secretary pick, Pete Hegseth, made it past committee and ultimately was confirmed with Vice President Vance casting the tie-breaking vote.&nbsp; While no Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee were expected to vote to confirm Kennedy, the spotlight was on Sen. Bill Cassidy, the Louisiana physician and chair of the Senate Health Committee. Cassidy issued a last minute endorsement indicating a party line vote for Kennedy. On Thursday Cassidy spoke at Kennedy's confirmation hearing saying, "Your past of undermining confidence in vaccines with unfounded or misleading arguments concerns me," which left doubt about his support. After the committee vote on Tuesday Cassidy appeared to have come around on his views of Kennedy's nomination when he spoke on the Senate floor to detail the reasons behind his vote to support Robert F Kennedy Jr. Cassidy rattled off a long list of commitments Kennedy made to him, including quarterly hearings before the HELP Committee; meetings multiple times per month; that HELP Committee can choose representatives on boards or commissions reviewing vaccine safety; and a 30-day notice to the committee, plus a hearing, for any changes in vaccine safety reviews. "These commitments, and my expectation that we can have a great working relationship to make America healthy again, is the basis of my support." Cassidy's office confirmed Sunday evening that the senator and Kennedy had been speaking over the weekend.&nbsp; TRUMP HEALTH SECRETARY NOMINEE RFK JR. SURVIVES HEATED HEARINGS Kennedy survived back-to-back combustible Senate confirmation hearings last week, where Trump's nominee to lead 18 powerful federal agencies that oversee the nation's food and health faced plenty of verbal fireworks over past controversial comments, including his repeated claims in recent years linking vaccines to autism, which have been debunked by scientific research. TRUMP HEALTH SECRETARY NOMINEE RFK JR. SURVIVES HEATED HEARINGS  During the hearings, Democrats also spotlighted Kennedy's service for years as chair or chief legal counsel for Children's Health Defense, the nonprofit organization he founded that has advocated against vaccines and sued the federal government numerous times, including a challenge over the authorization of the COVID vaccine for children. While no Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee were expected to vote to confirm Kennedy, the spotlight was on Sen. Bill Cassidy, the Louisiana physician and chair of the Senate Health Committee. Cassidy issued a last minute endorsement indicating a party line vote for Kennedy. HEAD HERE FOR LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON PRESIDENT TRUMP'S FIRST 100 DAYS BACK IN THE WHITE HOUSE "Your past of undermining confidence in vaccines with unfounded or misleading arguments concerns me," Cassidy told Kennedy at the end of Thursday's confirmation hearing. Cassidy's office confirmed Sunday evening that the senator and Kennedy had been speaking earlier that day.&nbsp; The 71-year-old Kennedy, a scion of the nation's most storied political dynasty, launched a long-shot campaign for the Democrat presidential nomination against President Joe Biden in April 2023. But six months later, he switched to an independent run for the White House. Kennedy made major headlines again last August when he dropped his presidential bid and endorsed Trump. While Kennedy had long identified as a Democrat and repeatedly invoked his late father, former Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, and his late uncle, former President John F. Kennedy – who were both assassinated in the 1960s – Kennedy in recent years built relationships with far-right leaders due in part to his high-profile vaccine skepticism. Trump announced soon after the November election that he would nominate Kennedy to his Cabinet to run HHS. Kennedy, whose outspoken views on Big Pharma and the food industry have also sparked controversy, has said he aims to shift the focus of the agencies he would oversee toward promotion of a healthy lifestyle, including overhauling dietary guidelines, taking aim at ultra-processed foods and getting to the root causes of chronic diseases. "Our country is not going to be destroyed because we get the marginal tax rate wrong. It is going to be destroyed if we get this issue wrong," Kenendy said Thursday as he pointed to chronic diseases. "And I am in a unique position to be able to stop this epidemic." CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP With Republicans controlling the Senate by a 53-47 majority, Kennedy can only afford to lose the support of three GOP senators if Democrats unite against his confirmation on the floor of the chamber.