BREAKING: RFK Jr confirmed as Health and Human Services Secretary

On Thursday, the Senate voted to confirm Robert F Kennedy Jr as the next Department of Health and Human Services Secretary. His confirmation passed with a 52-48 vote. Senator Mitch McConnell voted against confirming Kennedy, and also voted against confirming Director of National Intelligence Tusli Gabbard earlier in the week.

This comes after Kennedy’s confirmation cleared its final hurdle on Wednesday before the final senate vote, with the chamber voting 53-47 in favor of invoking cloture. The Senate Finance Committee had voted to advance Kennedy's nomination earlier in February with a vote of 14 to 13.

During the confirmation hearing, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) criticized Democrat lawmakers who were drilling Kennedy on his stance on vaccines, saying, "Discussion over vaccines is so oversimplified and dumbed down that we never really get to real truths, and it's why people up here are so separated from real people at home."

"I’m pro-vaccine, but I’m not a one-size-fits-all person,” he emphasized. “I chose to wait on my hepatitis B vaccine, and we did it when they went to school. Does that make me an awful person," Paul said, later adding, "These are the nuances you're unwilling to talk about, because there's such a belief in submission, submit to the government. Do what you're told. There is no discussion."

Kennedy said in his hearing while being questioned on a 2019 measles outbreak that took place in Samoa, "I support the measles vaccine, I support the polio vaccine, I will do nothing as HHS secretary that makes it difficult or discourages people from taking either of those vaccines."

Trump wrote in nominating Kennedy for the role, "I am thrilled to announce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health.”

He added at the time, “The Safety and Health of all Americans is the most important role of any Administration, and HHS will play a big role in helping ensure that everybody will be protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming Health Crisis in this Country. Mr. Kennedy will restore these Agencies to the traditions of Gold Standard Scientific Research, and beacons of Transparency, to end the Chronic Disease epidemic, and to Make America Great and Healthy Again!"

Kennedy, a former Democrat who switched to independent, dropped out of the 2024 presidential race and backed Trump for president.

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