The Republican-led Senate has confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr., another of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks, to become the secretary of Health and Human Services.
The final vote with the full Senate was on Thursday. Kentucky Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell was the only Republican to vote against RFK Jr.
Late last week, the Senate voted 52-47 to move forward on RFK Jr.’s nomination to lead DHS.
Following tense hearings on Capitol Hill, the vote was in doubt when GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a doctor, expressed uncertainty about supporting Kennedy.
After meeting with Vice President JD Vance, Cassidy announced that he would vote for RFK Jr. to lead the agency.
“I’ve had very intense conversations with Bobby and the White House over the weekend and even this morning,” Cassidy wrote on X Tuesday morning.
“I want to thank VP JD specifically for his honest counsel. With the serious commitments I’ve received from the administration and the opportunity to make progress on the issues we agree on like healthy foods and a pro-American agenda, I will vote yes,” he wrote.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) stated that Kennedy embodies the change the nation needs.
“Mr. Kennedy, if confirmed, will have the opportunity to deliver much-needed change to our nation’s health care system,” he said, according to the New York Post. “He has spent his career fighting to end America’s chronic illness epidemic and has been a leading advocate for health care transparency, both for patients and for taxpayers.”
The chairman noted further that RFK Jr. answered more than 900 questions from the panel.
Cassidy was concerned about Kennedy’s opposition to vaccines and his past comments linking vaccines to autism, according to NBC.