Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—whose history of anti-vaccine rhetoric has had the healthcare and biopharma industries on edge—was confirmed as Health and Human Services Secretary in a Senate vote along party lines.
After months of simmering speculation—and a wide range of opinions—the U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the next secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
During Senate hearings earlier this month, RFK Jr. faced heavy scrutiny, particularly from Democrats, over his past comments on vaccines and other controversial viewpoints. His nomination progressed to a full Senate vote last week, at which point it was all but certain that he would be confirmed, with Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) voting with fellow Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee to send the nomination to a full Senate vote.
After the lawmakers voted Wednesday to invoke cloture and end debate, they reconvened today and voted 52-48, along party lines, in favor of RFK Jr.’s confirmation.
Notably, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)—a survivor of childhood polio—broke with his party and voted against Kennedy, saying in a statement that the new HHS Secretary “failed to prove he is the best possible person to lead America’s largest health agency,” Forbes reported. McConnell referred to RFK Jr.’s vaccine skepticism and “record of trafficking in dangerous conspiracy theories and eroding trust in public health institutions,” according to the publication. All democratic senators voted against RFK Jr.
Members of RFK Jr.’s own family—including his niece, Kerry Kennedy Meltzer—have spoken out against his confirmation. On the eve of the confirmation hearings, Kennedy Meltzer shared with STAT News private email exchanges between her uncle and herself detailing false claims made by the nominee about COVID-19 immunizations during the pandemic and citing articles by other vaccine critics linking childhood diseases to vaccines.
RFK Jr.’s confirmation could also have repercussions for FDA staff. “FDA’s war on public health is about to end,” the then-nominee posted on X in October. “If you work for the FDA and are part of this corrupt system, I have two messages for you: 1. Preserve your records, and 2. Pack your bags.”
While much has been made of the new HHS Secretary’s controversial positions—shares of vaccine makers including Pfizer, Eli Lilly and Novavax—fell after his nomination, Kennedy’s confirmation could be positive for developers of stem cell therapies, nutraceuticals and psychedelic therapies. RFK Jr. has previously accused the FDA of “suppressing” stem cell therapies, according to Pharmaphorum, and in interviews with BioSpace, psychedelic drug developers expressed optimism about the “tailwind” he could provide for the sector.
Ultimately, experts who spoke with BioSpace this month were largely unfazed by the level of power RFK Jr., along with FDA Commissioner nominee Marty Makary, could wield. During a media call prior to his departure in January, former FDA Commissioner Robert Califf pointed to a system of checks and balances, saying the FDA has “a lot of bosses,” including HHS, the executive branch and Congress, “which also thinks it’s your boss.”
