Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been confirmed to be the next Secretary of Health and Human Services after a lengthy confirmation process that saw him make major concessions to Republican senators on everything from vaccines to research funding to government funding of abortion. His “Make America Healthy Again” movement was seen as a critical component of President Trump’s success in 2024. 

Mr. Kennedy was confirmed on a party-line vote 52-48, with no Democrats supporting his nomination. A steady lobbying effort by the White House helped clinch the confirmation, including calls made by Vice President Vance to the chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, Senator Cassidy, who himself is a physician.