The U.S. Senate on Wednesday advanced President Donald Trump’s nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the Department of Health and Human Services, setting up a likely vote on awarding him the position in coming days.
The Senate voted 53-47 along party lines to limit debate on Kennedy’s nomination amid staunch opposition from Democrats and many public health experts, largely because of his record over several decades opposing vaccines, including those with long records of safety and efficacy.
If confirmed, as expected, by the Republican-controlled Senate, Kennedy, 71, would head the nation’s top health agency that oversees agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’ Center for Tobacco Products and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
