POLITICS NEWS – RFK wins key Republican senator’s support and on track to become health secretary

Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been vocal about his skepticism surrounding vaccines and is on track to become the nation’s health secretary. After gaining the support of Senator Bill Cassidy RFK Jr.’s likelihood of becoming health secretary has increased. Kennedy assured Cassidy that he would not topple the nation’s childhood vaccine program. The Republican-controlled Senate Finance Committee advanced Kennedy’s nomination 14-13 which sent his bid to oversee the $1.7 trillion U.S. Health and Human Services agency to a full vote on the Senate floor. 

The Democrats on the committee completely opposed Kennedy whose family name had been synonymous with the party for generations before RFK Jr. aligned himself with President Donald Trump. Kennedy has continued to sew doubt around vaccine safety and has the potential to profit off of the lawsuits over drugmakers. While a full Senate vote has not been scheduled Kennedy’s nomination is likely to be confirmed with Cassidy’s vote no longer in question. Kennedy has been among some of the more controversial cabinet choices by Trump and Republicans’ support for RFK Jr.’s nomination shows just how much power Trump has over the members of the Republican Party.