RFK Jr.'s HHS Nomination Advances to Senate Floor Following Divisive Committee Vote

The Senate Finance Committee approved the controversial nominee along party lines after securing key commitments from the Trump administration.

Senator Bill Cassidy provided the decisive vote to advance Kennedy Jr.'s nomination as Health and Human Services Secretary, citing assurances from Kennedy and the Trump administration.
Kennedy's nomination has faced intense criticism due to his history of promoting debunked vaccine theories and his limited experience managing large-scale government operations.
Cassidy, a physician and vaccine advocate, emphasized commitments from Kennedy to maintain existing CDC vaccine guidelines and avoid creating parallel safety monitoring systems.
Republican senators faced significant pressure from the White House and allies such as Elon Musk to support Kennedy's confirmation, with some expressing reservations about his qualifications and past statements.
The full Senate is expected to vote on the nomination soon, with Kennedy needing to retain near-unanimous Republican support to secure confirmation.