(The Center Square) – Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the controversial nominee for U.S. Health and Human Service secretary, will move forward in the confirmation process after advancing through the Senate Finance Committee in a tight vote.
The committee voted 14-13 Tuesday to advance Kennedy, with all Democrats in opposition to the candidate whom they see as an unqualified wild card.
U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., argued the HHS needs a “serious person at the helm” and said Kennedy “seems more obsessed with chasing conspiracy theories than chasing solutions.”
Kennedy, an environmental lawyer, has spent decades calling out industry influence over regulatory agencies like the Food and Drug Administration, but hassle criticized for questioning the safety and efficacy of certain vaccines.
He has also brought attention to the role ultra-processed foods and chemical additives play in rising chronic disease rates, a focus he promises to continue if confirmed.
The HHS secretary oversees the nation’s largest healthcare programs, such as Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP. Kennedy stumbled over his answers and seemed uncertain on specifics when U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., asked the candidate during his hearing last week about potential improvements to Medicaid and Medicare.
Despite expressing serious doubts, Cassidy, a doctor and vaccine advocate, ultimately voted to move Kennedy’s confirmation process forward.
“I’ve had very intense conversations with Bobby and the White House over the weekend and even this morning,” Cassidy said on X minutes before the vote. “With the serious commitments I’ve received from the administration and the opportunity to make progress on the issues we agree on, like healthy foods and a pro-American agenda, I will vote yes.”
Kennedy’s nomination will now proceed for a final vote to the Senate floor, which just confirmed oil and gas tycoon Chris Wright as energy secretary Monday evening in a bipartisan 59-38.
