By Lauren Weber, Rachel Roubein · The Washington Post (c) 2025
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 policies that touch all corners of American life.
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 longtime former Republican leader said in a statement.
Kennedy secured the Cabinet seat despite his liberal credentials, well-funded lobbying efforts against him and opposition over his previous support for on abortion led by Trump’s own former vice president, Mike Pence.
He has pledged to focus on improving Americans’ rates of chronic disease, lengthen life expectancies and pursue “gold standard science” at U.S. health agencies. His advocacy to improve America’s nutrition won him populist support as part of Trump’s coalition of people who say politicians have forgotten them – a sharp contrast to the rejection by conservatives of former first lady Michelle Obama’s push for similar reform over a decade ago.
Kennedy’s allies said they were elated to see him take up the helm of HHS, believing he’ll give a voice to people who are outside the mainstream.
“I think we’re going to see a deterioration of just the influence of corporations on policy decisions and a return to better science,” said Jeff Hutt, spokesperson for the Make America Healthy Again political action committee and who was the former national field director for Kennedy’s presidential campaign.
Some of Kennedy’s supporters cheered in the Senate chamber as he was confirmed.
But medical experts warn that Kennedy has repeatedly disparaged vaccines and falsely linked them to autism, according to a Washington Post review of his public statements from recent years. He often contends that vaccines are not tested enough, which vaccine experts say is baseless.
During his confirmation hearings, Kennedy repeatedly denied that he is anti-vaccine, contending he’s simply seeking more data and pledging not to undermine confidence in the shots.
“News reports and many in the hearing yesterday have claimed that I’m anti-vaccine and anti-industry,” Kennedy said during his second hearing last month. “Well, I’m neither. I’m pro-safety. I’m pro-good science.”
His refusal to recognize the reams of evidence that contradict him and years of anti-vaccine advocacy have alarmed public health leaders as he takes over the nation’s vast health portfolio and could shape vaccine policy. It’s unprecedented for a HHS secretary to hold such views, health policy leaders said.
“His past history has shown that he doesn’t follow the science or the facts, and it results in him making bad policy decisions,” said Georges C. Benjamin, the longtime head of the American Public Health Association.
Kennedy is walking into massive health issues that will define the Trump administration: Will Medicare and Medicaid expand their coverage of popular weight loss drugs? Will he implement Republican plans to pursue work requirements in Medicaid? How will he deliver on his promises to improve the nation’s food supply?
Kennedy was criticized over incorrectly describing the answers to questions on Medicaid and Medicare programs during his confirmation hearings (Medicaid is a joint federal and state insurance program for the poor, while Medicare is a federal program that covers those 65 and up). He will now need answers for all of these questions, and the many more his roughly 80,000 employees will bring. And he will face an existential question about many of his policy pushes: how to regulate in a pro-business administration that is attempting to cut back on government spending and government involvement in the day-to-day lives of Americans.
The Trump administration is attempting a major overhaul to the nation’s public health infrastructure. This includes a vow to substantially cut the federal workforce and an effort to slash funding for “indirect” administrative costs related to research. Federal health agencies also faced an unprecedented pause on their external communications, such as most press releases, social media posts and a critical Centers for Disease Control and Prevention weekly report. Kennedy has previously stated a desire to fire nutritionists at the Food and Drug Administration, which alarmed federal health officials but won him praise from some nutrition advocates.
Brian Blase, who led HHS policy planning for Trump transition team, said in recent years there’s been far too much focus on expanding Medicaid and other programs, arguing such efforts have not improved Americans’ health. Blase, who runs conservative think tank Paragon Health Institute, said there needs to be a greater focus on nutrition and exercise, as well as less deference to the powerful health care industry – all of which Kennedy has pledged to do.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin), a longtime supporter of Kennedy’s following his positions against covid mandates, told The Post this week he was excited for the “radical transparency” Kennedy would bring to the nation’s health agencies.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), who has a long history of railing against the same pharmaceutical companies Kennedy has often decried, told The Post Americans will have to wait and see if his rhetoric becomes reality in the fight to lower drug prices for Americans.
“I do believe we should make America healthy,” Sanders told The Post Wednesday, “the problem is much of what he proposes will make America less healthy and potentially put us in a very dangerous situation.”
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who had been considered a potential swing vote, tweeted Wednesday she chose to support Kennedy for his focus on prevention, despite her concerns over his vaccine beliefs. She told reporters Thursday that he committed to “respecting the existing lines of research, not doing anything to discourage the use of vaccines, again acknowledging that the research that goes on within our federal agencies needs to be free of political intervention.”
The pivotal swing vote on Kennedy’s confirmation, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), had openly wrestled with his training as a physician and his instincts as a politician. He ultimately decided to support Kennedy, framing himself as both a partner and a check on the potential new Cabinet secretary.
On the Senate floor last week, Cassidy detailed a list of private commitments he received from Kennedy and the Trump administration, some of which are aimed at protecting federal vaccine oversight. This included regular meetings with Kennedy; preserving statements on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website saying there is no link between vaccines and autism; and allowing Cassidy to choose a representative on any panel formed to review vaccine safety.
“Ultimately, restoring trust in our public health institution is too important,” said Cassidy, who serves as the Senate health committee chairman. “I think Mr. Kennedy can help get that done.”
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Dan Diamond contributed to this report.