The Senate confirms that Robert F Kennedy Jr. to serve as Trump’s Secretary of Health

On Thursday the Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Thursday in President Donald Trumpcabinet.

The Senate controlled by the Republicans voted 52-48 almost completely in the lines of the party to confirm Kennedy. The final confrontation on its controversial nomination was launched hours before, after voting another line of the match on Wednesday afternoon, which began the clock marking towards the confirmation list.

Kennedy, the well -known skeptical and environmental crusade of the vaccine that was running for the White House in 2024 before finishing its offer and supporting Trump, needed a simple majority to be confirmed by the Senate.

Kentucky’s Mitch McConnell Senator was the only Republican to vote against Kennedy’s nomination. McConnell, the former Senate leader of the Republican Party, suffered from Polio as a child and is an important defender of vaccines.

Nominee to Trump’s Secretary of Health RFK JR. Survive the heated audiences

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., president of President Donald Trump to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services, testifies during a Senate Health, Labor, Labor and Pensions Committee for his pending confirmation in Capitol Hill on Thursday, January 30, 2025 in Washington, DC (AP Photo/Rod Lampkey, Jr.)

Kennedy survived Confirmation hearings of the Senate fuel consecutive at the end of last month, when the Trump candidate to lead 18 powerful federal agencies that supervise the food and health of the nation, they faced many verbal fireworks about past controversial comments, including their claims repeated in recent years. VACCINE LINK to autism, which have been discredited by scientific research.

During the hearings, the Democrats also highlighted Kennedy’s service for years as president or main legal advisor of the children’s health defense, the non -profit organization he founded has advocated vaccines and demanded the federal government numerous , including a challenge on the authorization of the authorization of the authorization of the authorization of Vaccine for COVID-19 For children.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Live in Fox News ‘The Ingraham Angle’ 7pm et tonight

With the Democrats in the Senate Finance Committee voting so as not to advance Kennedy, the Center for Attention was in Bill Cassidy SenatorR-La., Doctor and president of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Work and Pensions (Help).

Cassidy issued a last minute support before the committee level vote, giving Kennedy a victory of the 14-13 party to advance its confirmation to the complete Senate.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., center, candidate of President Donald Trump to serve as secretary of health and human services, speaks with the president of the committee, Senator Bill Cassidy, R-La., He left, after his testimony during A Health Committee of the Senate, Education, Work and Pensions for its pending confirmation in Capitol Hill on Thursday, January 30, 2025 in Washington, DC (AP Photo/Rod Lampkey, Jr.)

Cassidy had emphasized during Kennedy’s confirmation audiences that “his past to undermine vaccines with unfounded or deceitful arguments worries me,” which left doubts about his support.

However, after talking again with the nominee, Cassidy took out a long list of commitments that Kennedy made, including the quarterly hearings before the Help Committee; meetings several times a month; That aid committee can choose representatives in joints or commissions that review the safety of vaccines; And a 30 -day warning to the committee, plus a hearing, for any change in vaccine safety reviews.

Go here for the latest Fox News report on the first 100 days of President Trump in the White House

“These commitments, and my expectation that we can have a great working relationship to make the United States be healthy again, is the basis of my support,” said the senator.

RFK Jr. and Trump Split Image (Getty images)

Earlier this week, another Republican senator who had reservations regarding Kennedy’s confirmation announced support for the nominee.

“After an extensive public and private interrogation and an exhaustive examination of his nomination, I will support Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,” the Senator of the Republican Party, Susan Collins de Maine, announced on Tuesday.

Another Republican who was in the fence, Senator Lisa Murkowski from Alaska, also voted to advance the Kennedy nomination.

Murkowski said she continues “for having concerns about Mr. Kennedy’s opinions about vaccines and his selective interpretation of scientific studies,” but that the nominee “has made numerous commitments with me and my colleagues, promising to work with Congress to guarantee Public access to information and base vaccine recommendations on data -based research, evidence -based and medically solid. “

The former leader of the Republican Senate Party Mitch McConnell, an important vaccine defender, also voted to advance in Kennedy’s nomination.

Kennedy, whose open opinions about Great pharmacy And the food industry has also caused a controversy, it has said that its objective is to change the approach of the agencies that would supervise towards the promotion of a healthy lifestyle, including the review of dietary guidelines, point to ultra processed foods and reach the causes of the chronic diseases.

The impulse is part of its “Make America Healthy Again” campaign.

“Our country will not be destroyed because we are wrong with the marginal tax rate. It will be destroyed if we are wrong this problem,” Kennedy said while pointing chronic diseases. “And I am in a unique position to stop this epidemic.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks in a campaign event for this independent presidential offer, on May 1, 2024 in the New York City of Brooklyn. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

The 71 -year -old stem of the narrowest political dynasty in the nation, launched a long -term shooting campaign for the democratic presidential nomination against then President Joe Biden in April 2023. However, six months later, he changed to a race Independent for the White House.

Trump regularly ridiculed Kennedy during his independent presidential offer, accusing him of being a “radical liberal Left” and a “democratic plant.”

Kennedy responded, claiming in a publication on social networks that Trump’s blows against him were “a barely consistent alluvion of wild and inaccurate statements.”

The then president of the trainers, Donald Trump, on the right, welcomes Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to the stage in a campaign rally at the South Arena gas on October 23, 2024 in Duluth, Georgia. (Anna MoneyMaker/Getty images)

However, Kennedy made the main headlines again last August when he dropped his presidential offer and backed Trump.

While Kennedy had long identified himself as a Democrat and repeatedly invoked his late father, former senator Robert F. Kennedy, and his late uncle, former President John F. Kennedy, who were killed in the 1960s, Kennedy He built relationships with relationships with relationships with extreme right leaders due in part to his skepticism of high profile vaccines.

Click to get the Fox News application

After months of criticizing him, Trump called Kennedy “a man who has been an incredible champion for many of these values ​​that we all share.”

Trump announced shortly after the November elections that would name Kennedy to his cabinet to direct the HHS.

The final vote on Kennedy’s nomination occurred one day after the Senate confirmed another controversial selection, the director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, in a 52-48 vote.

Chad Pergram of Fox News contributed to this report