BREAKING: Senate confirms Robert F. Kennedy Jr as HHS Sec, One Republican votes ‘no’

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Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., President Donald Trump’s nominee for Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS), was confirmed to the position by the U.S. Senate on Thursday.

Kennedy was confirmed in a 52-48 vote, mostly along party lines. One lone Republican, former GOP leader Mitch McConnell, voted “no” on Kennedy’s confirmation, just as he did the day before on the vote for Tulsi Gabbard as National Intelligence Director.

Kennedy, 71, is the son of former Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, and the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy. A former life-long Democrat, Kennedy left the Democrat Party in 2023 and registered as an Independent. He ran for president in the 2024 election, before later dropping out and endorsing Trump.

Kennedy’s key campaign message centered around health, but Democrats turned on him over his opposition to some vaccines. After he endorsed Trump, he and Trump embraced the slogan: “Make America Healthy Again.”

Days after winning the presidential election in November, Trump then announced that he was nominating Kennedy to serve as Health and Human Services Secretary.

Kennedy is expected to be sworn into office later on Thursday.

Shockingly, ahead of the vote to confirm Kennedy Thursday morning, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer railed against Kennedy’s nomination, and literally admitted that he believed an HHS Secretary should be someone who already had his hands in the pharmaceutical or insurance company industries.

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Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska had announced on Wednesday that she intended to vote in favor of Kennedy’s confirmation. In a statement, Murkowski wrote:

I intend to support Robert Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation as Secretary of Health and Human Services. While there is no dispute that the U.S. spends more per capita on healthcare than any other country, our health outcomes do not reflect this investment. Instead of focusing on who covers our exorbitant healthcare costs, we need to reduce these costs by directing our attention to prevention and keeping people healthy. This is the appeal of RFK, and many Alaskans have shared that view with me. Chronic conditions are a significant source of illness and major drivers of public debt; he recognizes this and is committed to addressing it.

I continue to have concerns about Mr. Kennedy’s views on vaccines and his selective interpretation of scientific studies, which initially caused my misgivings about his nomination. Vaccines have saved millions of lives, and I sought assurance that, as HHS Secretary, he would do nothing to make it difficult for people to take vaccines or discourage vaccination efforts. He has made numerous commitments to me and my colleagues, promising to work with Congress to ensure public access to information and to base vaccine recommendations on data-driven, evidence-based, and medically sound research. These commitments are important to me and, on balance, provide assurance for my vote.

I am encouraged by the time he has spent among indigenous peoples, his commitment to tribal sovereignty, and his promised attention to the Indian Health Service. He has spent time in rural Alaska and understands some of the unique public health challenges we face that require complex solutions. There is much shared work ahead to achieve better public health outcomes, and I will push Mr. Kennedy to realize these goals.

Conservatives are cheering Kennedy’s confirmation:

And conservatives are fed up with Sen. Mitch McConnell:

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