As President Trump continues his push to reshape the federal government, one of his most controversial cabinet nominations has now been confirmed. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., once a Democratic challenger to Joe Biden, then an independent presidential candidate, and now a Trump ally, was officially sworn in as the 26th Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on February 13th, 2025.
What is HHS?
The Department of Health and Human Services is a cabinet-level Department that falls under the Executive Branch of the U.S. government. It was created with the mission to “improve the health, safety, and wellbeing of America”. While Congress creates federal health policies, they are predominantly implemented through HHS. As Secretary, Kennedy will oversee all HHS programs, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), managing nearly $2 trillion in funding dedicated to public health research and programming.
The Road to Confirmation
The road to Kennedy’s confirmation as HHS Secretary was anything but conventional. Kennedy initially entered the 2024 race as a Democrat, appealing to the left on environmental issues while simultaneously drawing support from several longtime Republican donors for his stance on the weaponization of federal government and opposition to vaccines. When Kennedy’s Democratic bid for the presidency fell short, he pivoted to an independent run, seeking to carve out a path outside the two-party system. But as the race tightened and third-party candidates became a potential deciding factor, Kennedy endorsed Donald Trump. Now, in a turn few could have predicted just a year ago, he is at the helm of America’s largest public health agency.
Kennedy’s appointment has been met with fierce debate, given his longtime anti-vaccine advocacy. He is the Founder and Former Chairman of Children’s Health Defense (CHD), an organization that has been known to finance and produce misinformation campaigns on vaccines and the COVID-19 pandemic. During his tenure as Chairman, Kennedy has served as a lawyer in several of CHD’s lawsuits against vaccine mandates and public health institutions, including federal agencies he now oversees as HHS Secretary. In December 2021, Kennedy called the COVID-19 vaccine “the deadliest vaccine ever made”. Despite this, Kennedy has repeatedly stated that he is not anti-vaccine. His views, however, have made him a target for critics who accuse him of fueling vaccine hesitancy.
During his confirmation hearings, Kennedy attempted to clarify his stance on vaccinations, emphasizing that he supports vaccines but believes in stronger oversight and transparency in pharmaceutical research and regulatory processes. He also faced scrutiny over his position on Medicare and Medicaid. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle pressed him on whether he would support expansion or re-structuring for these programs, particularly in light of rising healthcare costs. Kennedy stated that he “doesn’t have a plan to dismantle the program”, but made claims about the ineffectiveness of both Medicare and Medicaid.
His confirmation vote was nearly along party lines, with only one Republican breaking ranks—Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a polio survivor who has been a staunch advocate for vaccination. Leader McConnell stated, “I will not condone the re-litigation of proven cures, and neither will millions of Americans who credit their survival and quality of life to scientific miracles.”
Beyond vaccines, Kennedy’s confirmation hearing touched on other major health crises, including the opioid epidemic, rising healthcare costs, and chronic disease prevention. His critics argue that his unconventional views on medicine could make it harder to implement evidence-based policy, while his supporters see him as a disruptor willing to challenge entrenched interests and focus on pressing issues like processed foods and big pharma.
The “Make America Healthy Again” Commission
Kennedy’s confirmation coincided with President Trump’s signing of an executive order establishing the “Make America Healthy Again Commission.” This initiative aims to investigate the root causes of America’s chronic health crisis, with a particular focus on childhood diseases. In his remarks, Kennedy expressed gratitude for the opportunity, stating, “I have prayed each morning for the past two decades for God to put me in a position to solve the childhood chronic disease epidemic, and now, thanks to you Mr. President, we will make this promise a reality.”
With trust in public health agencies facing a decline along partisan lines, the coming months will reveal whether Secretary Kennedy’s policy priorities succeed in “making America healthy again”.
