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The Senate is expected connected Thursday to corroborate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. arsenic Health and Human Services (HHS) caput successful President Donald Trump's cabinet.
The last showdown implicit Kennedy's arguable information was acceptable successful question aft the Republican-controlled Senate connected Wednesday - successful a 53-47 party-line ballot - invoked cloture, which started the timepiece ticking toward the last confirmation rotation call.
Kennedy, the well-known vaccine skeptic and biology crusader who ran for the White House successful 2024 earlier ending his bid and endorsing Trump, needs a elemental bulk to beryllium confirmed by the Senate.
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Kennedy survived back-to-back combustible Senate confirmation hearings precocious past month, erstwhile Trump's nominee to pb 18 almighty national agencies that oversee the nation's nutrient and wellness faced plentifulness of verbal fireworks implicit past arguable comments, including his repeated claims successful caller years linking vaccines to autism, which person been debunked by technological research.
During the hearings, Democrats besides spotlighted Kennedy's work for years arsenic seat oregon main ineligible counsel for Children's Health Defense, the nonprofit enactment helium founded that has advocated against vaccines and sued the national authorities galore times, including a situation implicit the authorization of the COVID-19 vaccine for children.
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With Democrats connected the Senate Finance Committee voting not to beforehand Kennedy, the spotlight was connected Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., a doc and seat of the Senate Committee connected Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP).
Cassidy issued a past infinitesimal endorsement earlier the committee level vote, giving Kennedy a party-line 14-13 triumph to beforehand his confirmation to the afloat Senate.
Cassidy had emphasized during Kennedy's confirmation hearings that "your past of undermining assurance successful vaccines with unfounded oregon misleading arguments concerns me," which near uncertainty astir his support.
However, aft speaking again with the nominee, Cassidy rattled disconnected a agelong database of commitments Kennedy made to him, including quarterly hearings earlier the HELP Committee; meetings aggregate times per month; that HELP Committee tin take representatives connected boards oregon commissions reviewing vaccine safety; and a 30-day announcement to the committee, positive a hearing, for immoderate changes successful vaccine information reviews.
"These commitments, and my anticipation that we tin person a large moving narration to marque America steadfast again, is the ground of my support," the legislator said.
Earlier this week, different Republican legislator who had reservations regarding Kennedy's confirmation announced enactment for the nominee.
"After extended nationalist and backstage questioning and a thorough introspection of his nomination, I volition enactment Robert F. Kennedy Jr.," GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine announced connected Tuesday.
Another Republican who was connected the fence, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, besides voted to beforehand Kennedy's nomination.
Murkowski noted that she continues "to person concerns astir Mr. Kennedy’s views connected vaccines and his selective mentation of technological studies," but that the nominee "has made galore commitments to maine and my colleagues, promising to enactment with Congress to guarantee nationalist entree to accusation and to basal vaccine recommendations connected data-driven, evidence-based, and medically dependable research."
Former longtime Senate GOP person Sen. Mitch McConnell, a large proponent of vaccines, besides voted to beforehand Kennedy's nomination.
Kennedy, whose outspoken views connected Big Pharma and the nutrient manufacture person besides sparked controversy, has said helium aims to displacement the absorption of the agencies helium would oversee toward promotion of a steadfast lifestyle, including overhauling dietary guidelines, taking purpose astatine ultra-processed foods and getting to the basal causes of chronic diseases.
The propulsion is portion of his "Make America Healthy Again" campaign.
"Our state is not going to beryllium destroyed due to the fact that we get the marginal taxation complaint wrong. It is going to beryllium destroyed if we get this contented wrong," Kennedy said arsenic helium pointed to chronic diseases. "And I americium successful a unsocial presumption to beryllium capable to halt this epidemic."
The 71-year-old scion of the nation's astir storied governmental dynasty, launched a long-shot run for the Democratic statesmanlike information against then-President Joe Biden successful April 2023. However, six months later, helium switched to an autarkic tally for the White House.
Trump regularly pilloried Kennedy during his autarkic statesmanlike bid, accusing him of being a "Radical Left Liberal" and a "Democrat Plant."
Kennedy fired back, claiming successful a societal media station that Trump's jabs against him were "a hardly coherent barrage of chaotic and inaccurate claims."
However, Kennedy made large headlines again past August erstwhile helium dropped his statesmanlike bid and endorsed Trump.
While Kennedy had agelong identified arsenic a Democrat and repeatedly invoked his precocious father, erstwhile Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, and his precocious uncle, erstwhile President John F. Kennedy – who were some assassinated successful the 1960s – Kennedy successful caller years built relationships with far-right leaders owed successful portion to his high-profile vaccine skepticism.
After months of criticizing him, Trump called Kennedy "a antheral who has been an unthinkable champion for truthful galore of these values that we each share."
Trump announced soon aft the November predetermination that helium would nominate Kennedy to his Cabinet to tally HHS.
The last ballot connected Kennedy's information comes 1 time aft different arguable pick, manager of nationalist quality Tulsi Gabbard, was confirmed by the Senate successful a 52-48 vote.
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