BREAKING: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Confirmed as HHS Secretary
On Thursday, February 13, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, under the Trump administration.
As The Hill’s Nathaniel Weixel reported on Thursday morning, “Longtime vaccine critic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is now the nation’s top health official, after the Senate on Thursday voted almost entirely on party lines to confirm him atop a department of nearly 100,000 employees that run 13 agencies. The 52-48 confirmation vote brings to a close a contentious three-month confirmation fight that served as a significant test of the Republican Party’s loyalty to President Trump.”
Weixel wrote that “Only Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) cast a GOP vote against Kennedy’s confirmation, after previously bucking his party on Trump’s Defense secretary and national intelligence director. The founder of one of the country’s most prominent anti-vaccine groups will now run the nation’s vaccine policy, which is just one part of the nearly $2 trillion federal health portfolio. The final vote was essentially a formality after the Senate Finance Committee last week sent Kennedy’s nomination to the floor on a party-line vote. The full chamber on Wednesday voted 53 to 47 along party lines to end debate and advance the nomination,” he added.
And the Washington Post’s Lauren Weber and Rachel Roubein wrote on Thursday morning that “The Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, placing a member of the storied Democratic family in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet and giving the anti-vaccine activist oversight of the nation’s nearly $2 trillion health portfolio. The former presidential candidate turned leader of the Make America Healthy Again movement will now helm a vast government apparatus that oversees critical health insurance programs, the safety of the nation’s drug and food supply and the response to infectious-disease outbreaks — influencing health policy that touch all corners of American life,” they added.
And they noted that, “As one of Trump’s most controversial nominees, Kennedy was confirmed in a 52 to 48 vote largely along party lines, with Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) as the lone exception. McConnell’s childhood bout with polio has informed his ardent support for vaccines amid increasing skepticism of the shots within his own party. ‘I will not condone the re-litigation of proven cures, and neither will millions of Americans who credit their survival and quality of life to scientific miracles,’ the senator said in a statement. Four Republicans would have needed to break with their party and vote with every Democrat for Kennedy’s nomination to fail. Instead, only one did. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who opposed Pete Hegseth’s nomination to lead the Pentagon, this week said they would support Kennedy despite their lingering concerns over his stance on vaccines.”
The leaders of the Arlington, Va.-based Infectious Diseases Society of America immediately issued a statement criticizing the choice. A statement attributed to Tina Tan, M.D., the society’s president, began, “The Department of Health and Human Services is responsible for protecting and advancing the health and well-being of all Americans. Experts in infectious diseases can offer objective insight to Secretary Kennedy and his staff as the nation faces evolving future threats to the health of its citizens. By providing scientific, evidence-based recommendations to assess and combat all infectious diseases—which have no borders—including explaining their link to preventing and managing chronic health concerns, IDSA and its members can be trusted partners.”
Dr. Tan went on to add that “Secretary Kennedy’s confirmation is an important opportunity to reaffirm the longstanding, overwhelming and settled science regarding the safety and efficacy of vaccines, which remain our best defense against many serious infectious diseases. We look forward to working with lawmakers to hold Secretary Kennedy to his promise to maintain our nation’s vaccine approval and safety framework, including the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the Vaccines for Children program and other public health vaccine programs.”
Leaders at the Arlington, Va.-based Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) also weighed in: “On behalf of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), please accept our congratulations on your appointment. As you begin your work to promote and protect the health of the American people, we want to introduce ourselves and offer our assistance to you in advancing infection prevention and control priorities - an area that impacts every patient, every healthcare worker, and every healthcare facility across the country.”
Further, the APIC leaders wrote, “Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) remain one of the most persistent and preventable threats to patient safety. On any given day in the U.S., one in 31 patients will contract an HAI, leading to approximately 687,000 infections and 72,000 deaths annually. These infections - caused by drug-resistant bacteria, surgical complications, bloodstream infections, and device-associated pathogens - not only place patients at serious risk of harm but also burden the healthcare system with an estimated $28 billion annually in direct medical costs and an additional $12 billion in lost productivity and indirect expenses, all of which are largely preventable. (APIC) and our 15,000 infection preventionist (IP) members are dedicated to protecting patients, visitors, and healthcare workers from HAIs, enhancing preparedness for emerging infectious disease threats, and driving cost-saving measures for hospitals, nursing homes, and ambulatory centers nationwide.”
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) was more blunt: “"Putting Kennedy in charge of the nation’s public health is a huge mistake. When dangerous diseases resurface and people can’t access lifesaving vaccines, all Americans will suffer. And thanks to his serious, unresolved conflicts of interest, RFK Jr.’s family could continue getting richer from his anti-vaccine crusade while he’s in office,” she said in a statement.
Policy concerns linger, despite the fact that, in his hearings, Kennedy assured senators that he would act responsibly. POLITICO’s Chelsea Cirruzzo, Daniel Payne and Adam Cancryn wrote on Thursday that “He will start work at HHS a few weeks into the Trump administration that’s already moved to cut federal health agency staff, take down certain public health information from federal websites, and seize control of federal health care data with the help of Musk and DOGE, the commission Trump created by executive order in January 2025. Musk’s DOGE staffers are already at the HHS division that oversees Medicare, the health insurer for elderly people, and Medicaid, which covers those with low incomes. Combined the two account for about $1.5 trillion in federal spending. Musk seeks to root out billions lost to fraud,” they added.
