Robert F. Kennedy Jr. cleared a Senate test vote on Wednesday, placing him on the path to confirmation as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services after a difficult vetting process that focused on his vaccine views.
Senators voted along party lines, 53-47, to limit debate and advance the nomination to a final vote.
HHS is a sprawling agency with a $1.7 trillion budget and oversight of food and drugs, disease-fighting efforts and major insurance programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.
President Trump wants Mr. Kennedy, a scion of the famous Democratic family, to “go wild on health.”
For Mr. Kennedy, that means pushing popular measures such as combatting pesticides and additives in the food supply and finding the root causes of disease.
“Mr. Kennedy is committed to reorienting our approach to health care and restoring faith in our institutions,” said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, Idaho Republican.
Yet Mr. Kennedy’s past comments on vaccines, particularly an unproven link to autism, sparked consternation during his route to confirmation.
Mr. Kennedy, the former chairman of the anti-vaccine Children’s Health Defense group, said he wanted thorough safety data on vaccines, although senators said he appeared to be churning settled science.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, Louisiana Republican, said he got an unusual commitment from Mr. Kennedy to coordinate on health messaging and avoid actions that would cast doubt on common vaccines.
Mr. Kennedy, son of the late Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, ran for president as a Democrat and then switched to an independent in the 2024 race.
He dropped out and backed Mr. Trump, who repaid his support with the high-profile nomination.
Mr. Kennedy is among polarizing Trump nominees who faced tenuous confirmation fights, only to survive.
Tulsi Gabbard was confirmed as director of national intelligence moments before the Kennedy test vote, and Pete Hegseth was confirmed weeks ago as defense secretary with a tie-breaking vote from Vice President J. D. Vance.
Republican senators found it hard to ignore Mr. Kennedy’s diverse coalition of support, including conservatives who were skeptical of the government’s narrative on science and liberal “crunchy granola moms” who sought natural alternatives to some drugs or consumer products.
Democrats said despite that following, Mr. Kennedy couldn’t be trusted to follow good science.
“This is the least qualified nominee to ever be nominated for a position of this importance,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, Oregon Democrat.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.