Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination as Secretary of Health and Human Services advanced through a crucial Senate committee vote after he made several key commitments to Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana.
During floor remarks following the Senate Finance Committee vote, Cassidy revealed that Kennedy had pledged to operate within
established vaccine safety and approval systems if confirmed to lead HHS. The senator, who had previously expressed reservations about Kennedy’s stance on vaccines, said his support was secured after multiple conversations over the weekend and Tuesday morning.
The committee vote split along party lines, with all 14 Republicans voting in favor and 13 Democrats opposing Kennedy’s nomination. The full Senate has yet to schedule a final confirmation vote.
Among Kennedy’s promises to Cassidy were commitments to maintain regular communication, meeting or speaking multiple times monthly, and to seek the senator’s input on staffing decisions across HHS, including positions not requiring Senate confirmation. This
arrangement comes as Kennedy has signaled intentions for significant personnel changes at agencies under HHS jurisdiction, including previous statements about replacing hundreds of NIH employees and warnings to FDA staff.
Notably, Kennedy agreed to preserve the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a crucial CDC advisory panel that develops vaccination recommendations. He also committed to keeping CDC website content that refutes claims linking vaccines to autism. Additionally, Kennedy promised to give the Senate HELP Committee 30 days’ notice before implementing any changes to vaccine safety monitoring programs and agreed to allow the committee chair to select a representative for any new vaccine safety review boards.
These assurances proved crucial for securing Cassidy’s support, despite Kennedy’s well-documented history of vaccine skepticism. As the founder and former chair of Children’s Health Defense, Kennedy has frequently questioned vaccine safety and promoted debunked theories about connections between vaccines and autism, positions that drew sharp criticism from Democratic senators during recent confirmation hearings.
Cassidy emphasized that the Trump administration had also committed to an unprecedented level of collaboration with him regarding HHS operations if Kennedy is confirmed. “We need a leader at HHS who will guide President Trump’s agenda to Make America Healthy Again,” Cassidy stated, expressing confidence that Kennedy would fulfill this role based on his vaccine-related assurances and broader health policy platform.
The development marks a significant step forward for Kennedy’s nomination, which has been controversial due to his long history of challenging mainstream medical consensus on vaccines. His advancement through committee came despite intense questioning during confirmation hearings, particularly from Democratic senators who expressed serious concerns about his views on public health and vaccine safety.
The commitments Kennedy made to secure Cassidy’s crucial vote represent potential constraints on his ability to dramatically reshape vaccine policy if confirmed as HHS Secretary. The pledges to maintain existing vaccine safety frameworks and preserve important advisory bodies suggest Kennedy may have to moderate his approach to vaccine oversight if he assumes leadership of the department.
The final hurdle for Kennedy’s confirmation will be the full Senate vote, where he will need majority support to become the next HHS Secretary. The timing of this vote remains uncertain, but his success in securing unified Republican support in committee suggests he has gained momentum in his bid to lead the nation’s primary health agency.