The Blubber

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, took a major step toward confirmation on Tuesday as the Senate Finance Committee voted along party lines to advance his nomination to the full Senate.

The committee voted 14-13 in favor of Kennedy, whose nomination has sparked controversy due to his history of anti-vaccine rhetoric and questions about his fitness to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The key swing vote came from Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., a physician who, despite expressing concerns about Kennedy’s vaccine views, ultimately sided with the Republican majority.

Cassidy, who is up for reelection in 2026, announced his decision shortly before the vote in a post on X (formerly Twitter), saying he had "very intense conversations" with Kennedy and the White House over the weekend. “With the serious commitments I’ve received from the administration and the opportunity to make progress on shared priorities like healthy food initiatives and a pro-American agenda, I will vote yes,” Cassidy wrote.

The vote follows two contentious days of confirmation hearings last week, where Kennedy faced tough questioning from Democrats. He struggled to clarify past comments about vaccines and conspiracy theories while also faltering on questions about Medicare and Medicaid.

“I simply do not trust him to oversee the CDC,” said Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga. “He’s unqualified, and I think everyone here knows it.”

While most Republican senators have remained firmly united behind Trump’s Cabinet nominees, Kennedy’s selection for HHS secretary has been one of the administration’s most divisive appointments yet.

It remains uncertain whether Kennedy has enough support for final confirmation in the Senate. With a 53-47 Republican majority, at least four GOP senators would need to break ranks and vote against him to block the nomination.