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What’s Next in RFK Jr.’s HHS Secretary Confirmation Journey
Last week, the Senate Finance Committee voted along party lines to advance Kennedy to a full Senate floor vote, which could happen this week.
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Last week, the Senate Finance Committee voted along party lines to advance Kennedy to a full Senate floor vote, which could happen this week.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s long road over the last two years started when he ran for president as a Democrat, and then an independent, before leaving the race to back Republican President Donald Trump and getting nominated to lead the Department of Health and Human Services after Trump won to pursue what Kennedy called a “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) agenda.
The fate of his next step will be known when the Senate votes on his nomination, which could happen this week.
In a partisan vote last week, the Republican-controlled Senate Finance Committee voted 14-13 to advance Kennedy’s nomination to the Senate floor for a full vote.
Every Democrat on the committee opposed Kennedy’s nomination.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a physician, said he was “struggling” to support Kennedy during the committee’s confirmation hearing. He cited concerns about Kennedy’s vaccine stance, which Kennedy described to the committee as “pro-science” and “evidence based” but critics describe as “anti-vax” or “anti-science.” Ultimately, he chose to advance Kennedy to a full Senate vote.
The Senate last week also voted for cloture 52-47 on Kennedy’s nomination.
On Feb. 6, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) said about the confirmations of Kennedy and Director of National Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard, “There’s never any guarantees but we’re trending in the right direction.”
On Feb. 10, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) told CNN she would vote to confirm Kennedy. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Ala.) told The Epoch Times on Feb. 10 that she had made a decision on Kennedy but did not disclose how she would vote. The Epoch Times asked Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) about Kennedy’s confirmation on Feb. 10. He said, “I’m on my way to voting” as he hurried away.
Before the Senate Finance Committee decided to advance Kennedy to a full Senate vote, chairman Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) said, “Mr. Kennedy has also clearly responded to our questions during the rigorous due diligence process, his hearing, and in the course of answering over 900 questions for the record that were asked by members of this committee.”
“In response to Members of this Committee, Mr. Kennedy has even amended his ethics agreement, going beyond what is required by the Office of Government Ethics,” Crapo added, before noting that he will “vote in favor of [Kennedy’s] nomination.”
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) was outspoken against Kennedy’s nomination during the Senate Finance Committee’s confirmation hearing. When the committee convened to vote last week, he reiterated his disapproval.
“A recent analysis showed that Mr. Kennedy has made 114 separate appearances in the last four years where he espoused anti-vaccine views or spread misinformation about the efficacy of vaccines. In 36 of those instances, Mr. Kennedy directly linked vaccines to autism,” Wyden said.
“Last week, Mr. Kennedy was given ample opportunity on a bipartisan basis to recant his decades-long career peddling anti-vaccine conspiracies. Instead, he dodged and weaved, and gave no indication that if confirmed as HHS Secretary, he would stand by the long-settled science surrounding routine vaccinations,” he added.
Wyden remarked that Kennedy’s comments during the confirmation hearing show that he would be a “rubber stamp” for Trump.
Fighting chronic disease, improving children’s health, and addressing corporate influence on government agencies were vital parts of Kennedy’s stated presidential campaign platform.
If confirmed as HHS secretary, he would head a department that manages 13 agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Kennedy has promised significant changes throughout the department.
Republicans in Congress have established groups to promote MAHA initiatives.
Last December, a group of Republican senators announced the formation of the “Make America Healthy Again Caucus” to cultivate partnerships with local, state, and federal officials who are interested in MAHA initiatives.
The founding members are Sens. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.).
Pennsylvania Republican Reps. John Joyce and Lloyd K. Smucker introduced a House counterpart caucus.
Grassroots organizations propelled Kennedy’s 2024 presidential campaign and have continued their commitment with the creation of the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, coined after Kennedy departed the race last August and backed President Donald Trump.
Del Bigtree is host of “The Highwire” and founder of the Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN). He served as Kennedy’s communications director during the candidate’s presidential campaign and is now CEO of the MAHA Action PAC.
After the Senate Finance Committee vote last week, Bigtree said in a statement that grassroots efforts have made an impact during Kennedy’s confirmation process.
“It has been widely reported that the calls and visits to the Senate from MAHA moms in support of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the largest grassroots movement for a cabinet nominee that senators have seen in their careers,” Bigtree said.
“This is a testament to Robert F. Kennedy’s leadership and the undeniable truth, which is that Americans want to see him confirmed, and that Americans want to be healthy,” he added.
President Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., arrives to testify on Capitol Hill in Washington on Jan. 29, 2025. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times
Sayer Ji, chairman and co-founder of Global Wellness Forum and founder of GreenmedInfo.com, also serves as co-founder of Stand for Health Freedom, a nonprofit organization that has spearheaded a campaign for Kennedy supporters to contact legislators and advocate for his confirmation as HHS secretary.
“The grassroots movement behind Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation fight proves that real change rises from the ground up,”Ji told The Epoch Times on Feb. 8.
“While senators parroted pharmaceutical talking points and corporate interests worked to silence him, it was the people—the increasingly vocal, once-silent majority—who stepped up. They wrote letters, made calls, showed up, and refused to back down. They reminded the establishment that political survival depends not on industry dollars but on the will of the people.”
Bigtree said that the MAHA movement extends beyond Kennedy’s confirmation—it’s a long-term initiative.
Ji echoed Bigtree’s comments.
“This movement isn’t just about one confirmation—it’s about reclaiming medical freedom, bodily autonomy, and the right to informed choice,” Ji told The Epoch Times.
“The future of MAHA is in the hands of this awakening majority. It’s no longer a niche issue; it’s a demand for accountability, transparency, and an end to policies that put profit over people,” he added.
Critics remain vocal about Kennedy’s views on vaccines, even as he has advocated for safety and informed consent.
“I’ve never been anti-vaccine. People should have a choice, and that choice should be informed by the best information possible,” Kennedy told The Epoch Times in September 2024. “I’m going to ensure that there are science-based safety studies available, and people can make their own assessments about whether a vaccine is good for them.”
Sen Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said last month, “We can’t trust RFK Jr. to protect our health. There is nothing in his record to show we can trust him.”
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) was considered a potential swing vote for Kennedy’s confirmation but on Feb. 6, he said in a post of X that he will be voting against the nominations of Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“I have met with most of the cabinet nominees and have carefully watched their confirmation hearings,” Fetterman wrote. “After considering what’s at stake, I have voted against moving forward to the confirmation of Ms. Gabbard and Mr. Kennedy, and will be voting NO on their confirmations.”
Kennedy needs a simple majority to gain confirmation and start his role as HHS secretary. Republicans hold a 53-47 advantage in the Senate. Cassidy was seen as a potential hurdle to Kennedy advancing out of the Senate Finance Committee.
During the committee vote, Cassidy explained why he chose to support the Children’s Health Defense founder.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (R), President Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services, speaks with Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) after testifying before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions confirmation hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, on Jan. 30, 2025. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
“While I’m aligned with Mr. Kennedy as regards ultra-processed food, reforming NIH, and taking on chronic disease, once more, it leaves vaccines,” Cassidy said, adding that Kennedy and the Trump administration reached out to him “seeking to reassure me regarding their commitment to protecting the public health benefit of vaccination.”
Kennedy and the Trump administration “committed that he and I would have an unprecedentedly close collaborative working relationship if he is confirmed,” Cassidy said.
“We will meet or speak multiple times a month. This collaboration will allow us to work well together and therefore to be more effective,” he added.
Cassidy also noted that “Mr. Kennedy has asked for my input into hiring decisions at HHS beyond Senate confirmed positions” and “he has also committed that he would work within current vaccine approval and safety monitoring systems, and not establish parallel systems.”
“If confirmed, I look forward to working together with Mr. Kennedy to achieve President Trump’s mission of improving the health of all Americans,” the Republican doctor said.
Arjun Singh and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
