The US Senate endorses former environmental attorney Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the latest controversial vote for the Cabinet candidate chosen by President Donald Trump. I did.
But Thursday’s vote narrowed, given Kennedy’s history of embracing anti-vaccine views and health-related conspiracy theories.
Of the 100 members of the Senate, 52 voted for Jesus. All were members of Trump’s Republican Party. Democrats and independents lined up to provide 48 “nay” votes.
Still, there was one prominent Republican asylum. Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell is a childhood polio survivor and former leader of the party. He previously warned Trump candidates to “be clarified” his “effort to undermine public confidence in proven treatments.”
New York’s Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader of the Senate, tried to appeal to Republicans minutes before the vote. He called for the prospect of Kennedy leading the federal division, tasked with ensuring public health “hazardous.”
“My colleagues on the Republican side, you know the consequences of what you’re doing. My colleagues on the Republican side, you know how dangerous this is. My colleagues on the opposite side, you know I know you don’t agree with your members, their health, their families when you first vote “yes,” Schumer said.
However, Republicans have a small but solid majority in the Senate, holding 53 seats.
And so far, Trump has managed to lead all his candidates to high-level government positions.
This includes the Director of National Intelligence, confirmed on Wednesday despite past statements expressing sympathy for Russia’s “legal security concerns” that invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegses was approved in January, but the Senate split evenly 50-50 against his nomination.
A question was aroused claims that Hegseth was engaged in sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior in his past leadership role. Vice President JD Vance ultimately voted for a tiebreak.
Kennedy himself did not face a shortage of controversy in his lead-up to Thursday’s vote.
His cousin, former US ambassador Caroline Kennedy, issued an open letter calling him a “predator.”
Democrats are also trying to highlight a history of vaccine skepticism and lack of experience in the healthcare sector.
He testified at a confirmation hearing that his child was vaccinated, but Kennedy publicly spread conspiracy theories that include vaccinations linked to autism.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, he also issued a false statement claiming that the virus may have been manufactured to target certain groups.
“There’s a debate that it’s being ethnically targeted. Covid-19 attacks certain races disproportionately,” Kennedy was quoted as saying in the New York Post at a public event. “Covid-19 is intended to attack whites and black people.”
Additionally, in June 2019, Kennedy visited Samoa just before the measles outbreak claimed 83 people to live on the island.
Kennedy denied that his trip was about vaccines, but his Instagram account was skeptical of his fellow vaccines during his visit, with a caption that included the hashtag “Inquiry Before Vaccination.” was shown.
Samoa health officials, including Health Ministry Director Alek Ekeroma, accused him of helping to spread doubts about the effectiveness of vaccinations as a preventive tool.
Nevertheless, Republicans were standing by Kennedy, who was the nominee in the 2024 presidential election. Kennedy initially raced as a Democrat, but in October 2023 it split up and announced that he would run as an independent.
However, last August, Kennedy ended the president’s bid and threw his support behind Trump.
Kennedy joined Trump on the campaign trail and provided the spin: “Make America Great Again.” “Make America healthy again.”
Republicans on Thursday quickly dismissed concerns that they had hidden Kennedy’s nomination.
“Contrary to the constant attacks he has been making, he has made it very clear to support safe vaccinations.
He added that Kennedy brings a “fresh perspective on healthcare.”
“I agree with him. I have to go into a business that will make America healthy again.”
But in his final remarks before the vote on Thursday, Schumer followed Republicans after Trump’s lead, calling on Kennedy to approve of a high level of health and “it’s wrong, very wrong.”
He encouraged Republicans to defy party leaders and vote with their conscience.
“Today, this previous problem with this body is not to confirm that we check the RFK. Our previous question is very simple: which is more important to you? The health of your members and are you following your orders in happiness or blindly?”
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