POLITICS NEWS – Robert F. Kennedy Jr. confirmed as Health Secretary

Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer

Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Jr. has officially been confirmed as the Health Secretary. Numerous interest groups have spent millions of dollars to oppose his nomination. Democrats and other left-wing outlets continue to oppose his nomination. He has also received harsh comments from right-wing outlets because of his opinions on abortion rights. Throughout his confirmation process, RFK Jr. has faced issues regarding his confirmation because of this dual opposition. This uncertainty lasted for several weeks leading up to his confirmation hearing. During his confirmation hearing, Democratic senators made multiple speeches on the floor in protest of his nomination and urged their Republican colleagues to oppose his confirmation. 

However, by Thursday morning, he had garnered enough votes to secure his confirmation as Health Secretary. The final vote was 52 to 48 in favor of Kennedy. Mitch McConnell, former Republican majority leader, was the sole vote from the Republican Party that was not in support of RFK Jr.’s confirmation. This closely mirrored McConnell’s stance in the vote regarding Tulsi Gabbard’s confirmation. In a statement, McConnell stated, “In my lifetime, I’ve watched vaccines save millions of lives from devastating diseases across America and around the world.” He went on to say, “I will not condone the re-litigation of proven cures, and neither will millions of Americans who credit their survival and quality of life to scientific miracles.” In the wake of Kennedy’s confirmation, there are many lingering questions regarding the future of Medicare, vaccines, and ongoing medical research in the U.S.