Senate confirms RFK Jr. as HHS secretary

In the vote, every Senate Democrat voted against Kennedy and every Senate Republican voted in favor except for Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), a survivor of polio who has expressed concerns regarding Kennedy's views on vaccines.

In a statement explaining his vote, McConnell said he has seen "vaccines save millions of lives from devastating diseases across America and around the world. 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."

"Individuals, parents and families have a right to push for a healthier nation and demand the best possible scientific guidance on preventing and treating illness," McConnell said. "But a record of trafficking in dangerous conspiracy theories and eroding trust in public health institutions does not entitle Mr. Kennedy to lead these important efforts."

Kennedy faced many questions regarding his views on vaccines during his confirmation hearing, however, several Republicans who had expressed concerns on Kennedy's views said that he had assuaged those concerns.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said in a social media post on Wednesday that she continues "to have concerns about Mr. Kennedy's views on vaccines and his selective interpretation of scientific studies," but added that Kennedy "has made numerous commitments to me and my colleagues, promising to work with Congress to ensure public access to information and to base vaccine recommendations on data-driven, evidence-based, and medically sound research."

On Wednesday before the Senate Finance Committee voted to advance Kennedy's nomination, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said that Kennedy "is fond of saying he's not making recommendations about whether parents should vaccinate their kids — he's just asking questions and giving people choices." 

"That's a slippery tactic used by conspiracy theorists to dodge any real responsibility for their words and actions," Wyden added, "and it's absurd coming from somebody who's about to be confirmed for a job that is entirely about making recommendations."

Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) said, "If this were a secret ballot, this man wouldn't get 20 votes."

Ahead of the Finance Committee's vote, Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) praised Kennedy's commitment to "reorienting our approach to healthcare and restoring faith in our institutions. His passion for addressing America's chronic disease epidemic will save lives, reduce costs, and establish a foundation for a healthier, stronger country."

Following his Senate confirmation, Kennedy was sworn in as HHS secretary Thursday afternoon by Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch.

Reaction

In a statement, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the trade association for the pharmaceutical industry, said it was eager to work with Kennedy on his plan to reduce levels of chronic diseases and its own plans to limit the ability of intermediaries to raise drug prices.

Meanwhile, the Consumer Brands Association, which represents makers of ultra-processed foods — something Kennedy has specifically targeted in the past — reminded Kennedy in a statement that they are the nation's largest manufacturing employer, and that they would like to see aspects of the status quo remain in place.

"The federal regulatory agencies within HHS operate under a science and risk-based mandate, and it is critical that framework remains under the new administration," said Sarah Gallo, the group's SVP for federal affairs.

Some health systems expressed concerns about Kennedy's confirmation. One health system CSO that spoke to Advisory Board said they were scenario planning for any payment changes made through CMS in response to the confirmation. And a health system pediatric chair who spoke to Advisory Board said they were concerned about vaccinations as well as Kennedy's impacts on clinical care, reimbursement, and overall performance metrics.

However, a regional commercial insurance executive who spoke to Advisory Board said they're cautiously optimistic about Kennedy's confirmation, noting that his focus on food additives is an important issue.