The republican majority of the United States Senate has confirmed on Thursday the appointment of the controversial Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health. Despite their, when not Conspiranoicand his opposition to vaccines, so he was widely questioned in his appearances in the Senate by the Democratic bench. Also by some Republicans, but the initial resistance of these was yielding as the confirmation process was developed: the guarantees given by the candidate to avoid a conflict of interest – his initial intention to continue charging fees for sending clients to a law that demands pharmacists – have ended up convincing their new co -religionists – Kennedy is a republican again; -, which means a considerable victory for Trump.
The vote showed a result of 52 supports compared to 48 NOES. The former leader of the Republican Party in the Mitch McConnell Senate, a polio survivor that still drags side effects, was the only Republican who voted against the confirmation of the epigone of the Kennedy political dynasty. In December, he demonstrated his firm opposition to the candidate by remembering how in 2022 a close advisor raised to the FDA (Federal Food and Medicines Agency) the revocation of the Poly Vaccine patent.
The result highlights the scope of Trump’s influence on the republican majority of the Senate, since a list of controversial candidates who faced doubts about whether they could be confirmed – in addition to Kennedy, Pete Heghseth as Secretary of Defense and Tulsi Gabbard as director of National Intelligence – she has obtained the approval of the conservatives. McConnell also voted against the confirmation of Hegsteh and Gabbard. His co -religionists Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, who opposed Hegseth’s nomination for the Pentagon, deposed their criticisms of Kennedy this week despite their “persistent” concern.
Kennedy, founder of one of the most thriving treasury groups in the United States, will be from now on, a portfolio of almost two billion dollars. The US Department of Health and Human Services, with about 100,000 employees, is made up of 13 key federal health agencies, including food and drug administration, National Health Institutes, Medicare Services Centers and Medicaid, and the centers for disease control and prevention.
The final vote was essentially a formality after the Senate Finance Committee sent Kennedy’s appointment to Plenary last week in a partisan line vote. The camera’s plenary voted on Wednesday for 53 votes in favor and 47 against to end the debate and advance in the nomination.
During the confirmation hearings in the Capitol, saying to the senators in their place that it is “prosecurity”, a word that slowly slides that the immunization is not; Hence the opposition of McConnell. Kennedy said he was convinced that “vaccines play a fundamental role in health care,” but it was not the first time he rejected the tag of anti -vacacons. A verification of the CNN chain in 2023 found that despite his statements in the opposite direction, he has been one of the most prominent anti -vacuum activists in the country and for years he has resorted to false and deceptive statements to undermine the public’s confidence in immunization campaigns .
Kennedy is a former Democrat, well introduced to Trump’s circle since last year and has the support of almost all Republicans of Congress. His political metamorphosis has involved parking his anti -vacuum activism and his posture in favor of abortion, explained in the past, to present himself as a great disruptor or roof of the health industry, the Big Pharma (The big pharmaceutical companies) and aspects such as ultraprocessed food, for not citing their controversy proposed to eliminate the fluorization of drinking water. A disruptor in the wake of Elon Musk’s shaking to the administration pillars.
Republican Senate and House of Representatives have embraced their Make America Healthy Again (Make US healthy; Make America Great Again), which includes the elimination of food additives and their promise to reorient health agencies towards chronic diseases instead of infectious.
During the confirmation process, progressive groups have spent more than one million dollars in a campaign aimed at key senators of the Republican party that were considered potential decisive votes, capable of bowing the balance against the candidate. Kennedy also opposed a group founded by former Vice President Mike Pence, who attacked him for being probortist.
Kennedy landed with weapons and baggage in the Maga Movement last August, only one day after withdrawing his candidacy as an independent to the US presidency. Ten months before, in October 2023, he had abandoned the Democratic ranks, the La Reaction Party The clan did not wait, and it was not at all positive for the deserter. “We believe in [Kamala] Harris and in [Tim] Walz [candidatos demócratas a la presidencia]. Our brother’s decision to support Trump is a betrayal of our father’s values [el senador Bob Kennedy] And of our family, ”said five of his brothers. The protagonist, environmental lawyer, admitted that his jacket change would be a bitter drink for his. “Unitating Trump will be a difficult sacrifice for my wife and children, but it is worth it if there are possibilities, even if they are small, to save the children in the United States,” he said.
His incorporation into the Republican campaign had a marginal impact on the drag of voters towards Trump, but directly proportional to the reward that his change of rows has reported.
