Senators voted on a party-line Wednesday to advance President Donald Trump’s nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as secretary of the Health and Human Services Department.
Kennedy, the anti-vaccine guru who has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats, appears to be on track to lead the world’s largest public health system, which provides care for millions of Americans. He has tempered some views during his confirmation process.
In a starkly partisan vote, the Republican-controlled Senate Finance Committee advanced Kennedy's nomination 14-13 on Feb. 4, sending his bid to oversee the $1.7 trillion U.S. Health and Human Services agency for a full vote on the Senate floor.
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WATCH HEREAll Democrats on the committee opposed Kennedy, whose family name had been synonymous with their party for generations before he aligned with President Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential campaign. They sounded an alarm on Kennedy's work to sow doubt around vaccine safety and his potential to profit off lawsuits over drugmakers.
Was RFK confirmed today?
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SIGN UP RFK Jr advances toward confirmation to lead HHS on party-line vote
A procedural vote before the full Senate on Wednesday was the final step before the final confirmation vote, likely to take place Thursday. In Wednesday's procedural vote, the Senate advanced Kennedy by a vote of 53-47.
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As secretary, Kennedy would be responsible for food and hospital inspections, providing health insurance for millions of Americans and researching deadly diseases.
Did RFK Jr. get confirmed today on Wednesday?
RFK Jr. has not been confirmed yet by the full U.S. Senate. That vote will likely take place on Thursday.
Today, Wednesday, the full Senate voted on a procedural vote to advance his nomination to a confirmation vote.
When is the RFK confirmation vote?
The full confirmation vote before the United States Senate is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Thursday. It was was initially expected to occur around 7 a.m., but it was pushed back after a Senate agreement reached stemming from Democrats threatening to pull an all-nighter on the floor as a protest of Kennedy's nomination.
How many senators are there?
There are 100 U.S. senators who will have the chance to vote on the RFK nomination.
