RFK Jr. sworn in as nation's Health secretary

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was sworn in as the nation’s top health official Thursday in the Oval Office, completing an improbable arc for the anti-vaccine activist and one-time Democratic presidential candidate.

President Trump welcomed Kennedy, praising him for bringing a diverse coalition of support with him when he dropped his presidential bid to join forces with the president.

“He really worked very hard, and he had tremendous support, unbelievable support. And I think a lot of that support came my way when we decided to do a merger,” Trump said. “And it was really great. And it was very loyal, very loyal, incredible people.”

Trump then signed an executive order establishing a new commission to “Make America Healthy Again” with Kennedy as the chair. The commission will investigate the cause of the decades-long increase in childhood chronic illness, Trump said.

"He’s absolutely committed to getting dangerous chemicals out of our environment and out of our food supply, and getting the American people the facts and the answers that we deserve after years in which our public health system has squandered the trust of our citizens,” Trump said.

Kennedy was sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch. He was joined in the Oval Office by his wife, Cheryl Hines, and other family members, along with Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene (R-Ga.), Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Roger Marshall (R-Kan.).

Marshall is the founder of the Senate’s Make America Healthy Again caucus.

Kennedy vowed to implement an aggressive agenda focused on “radical transparency” and “ending the corruption” of health agencies.

“Our plans are radical transparency and returning gold standard science [to] NIH, the FDA and CDC, and ending the corruption, ending the corporate capture [of] those agencies, getting rid of the people on those panels that have conflicts of interest,” Kennedy said. “We can do unadorned and unimpeded science rather than the kind of product that is coming out of those agencies.”

The Department of Health and Human Services oversees 13 separate agencies, and Kennedy has long argued they are in desperate need of reform.

Last year, he promised to fire 600 employees at the National Institutes of Health, the nation’s largest funder of biomedical research.

In a post on X in October, ahead of the election, Kennedy vowed a shakeup of the “corrupt” Food and Drug Administration.

“If you work for the FDA and are part of this corrupt system, I have two messages for you: 1. Preserve your records, and 2. Pack your bags,” he wrote.

Kennedy was confirmed by the Senate by a 52-48 vote earlier Thursday following months of debate about his qualifications. Kennedy's confirmation served as a significant test of the Republican Party’s loyalty to President Trump.

The founder of one of the country’s most prominent anti-vaccine groups will now run the nation’s vaccine policy, which is just one part of the nearly $2 trillion federal health portfolio.

Only Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) cast a GOP vote against Kennedy’s confirmation, after previously bucking his party on Trump’s Defense secretary and national intelligence director.

Kennedy on Thursday again denied he was anti-vaccine, only pro-safety.

“Vaccines should be tested, they should be safe. Everybody should have informed consent,” Kennedy said.

Topics

RFK Jr. confirmed as health secretary

The GOP-controlled Senate voted Thursday to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist, to lead the country’s most powerful health care agency.
NBC News - 5d
RFK Jr. Confirmed as Health Secretary

Republicans fell in line behind Trump despite hesitancy over Kennedy’s views on vaccines.
Inc. - 5d
Senate Votes to Advance RFK Jr's Health Secretary Nomination

The Senate voted along party lines to advance the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for health secretary to the floor for a final vote, likely Thursday.
The New York Times - 6d
Senate confirms RFK Jr. as Health secretary; McConnell lone GOP dissenter

Longtime vaccine critic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is now the nation’s top health official, after the Senate on Thursday voted almost entirely on party lines to confirm him atop a department of nearly ...
The Hill - 5d
Senate Confirms RFK Jr., a Prominent Vaccine Skeptic, as Health Secretary

The vote capped a remarkable rise for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was confirmed by a Republican Senate in a chamber where his father and uncles once served as Democrats.
The New York Times - 5d
US Senate narrowly confirms RFK Jr as health secretary

Kennedy will oversee the US health industry including food safety, pharmaceuticals and vaccinations.
BBC News - 4d
3 things to watch for as RFK Jr. takes the helm as health secretary

Kennedy will set up a 'MAHA' commission to address chronic disease.
ABC News - 4d
Senate to vote on vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s bid to become nation's health secretary

The Senate is expected to vote Thursday on the confirmation of Robert F
ABC News - 5d
Watch: RFK Jr. sworn in to lead HHS under Trump

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was sworn Thursday afternoon as the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services during a ceremony at the White House. Kennedy was confirmed by the Senate to lead ...
The Hill - 5d

More from The Hill

National Science Foundation cuts 10 percent of staff

Nearly 170 employees at the National Science Foundation (NSF) who were still on probation were fired by the Trump administration on Tuesday, union officials told The Hill. The cuts at the agency ...
The Hill - 1h
Senate confirms Howard Lutnick as Commerce secretary

The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Howard Lutnick to serve as Commerce secretary, approving a key member of President Trump’s economic team amid rising trade tensions. Senators voted 51-45 in favor ...
The Hill - 1h
Trump foreign aid freeze's impact on family planning

Click in for more news from The Hill {beacon} Health Care Health Care The Big Story Trump foreign aid freeze leaves lasting impact on family planning The Trump administration’s foreign aid ...
The Hill - 1h
GameStop CEO decries 'wokeness and DEI' as company seeks to sell Canadian and French operations

GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen derided “wokeness and DEI” as the video game retailer giant seeks to sell operations in France and Canada. The company announced in a Tuesday release that as a part of “its ...
The Hill - 1h
Judge questions Trump’s transgender troop ban

Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security The Big Story Judge questions motives for Trump’s transgender troop ban A federal ...
The Hill - 1h