RFK Jr. for Health and Human Services secretary gets warm welcome from GOP senators

WASHINGTON – Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has one of the most famous last names in Democratic politics, supports abortion rights and openly questions vaccine safety.

But none of those things appear to be a concern for the Republican senators who are essential to the 70-year-old Kennedy's potential confirmation as President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Most Republican senators appear ready to support Kennedy Jr. to the influential Cabinet position inside the incoming Trump administration even as they are being hounded about how they'll vote for even more controversial nominees, such as former Rep. Matt Gaetz to be Trump's attorney general and Fox News host Pete Hegseth as secretary of Defense.

"RFK Jr. has championed issues like healthy foods and the need for greater transparency in our public health infrastructure," said Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican who has been openly critical of Trump and who serves on the Senate Finance Committee that will vet Kennedy. “I look forward to learning more about his other policy positions and how they will support a conservative, pro-American agenda."

Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, who will chair the Finance committee next year, said in a statement that Kennedy “prioritized addressing chronic diseases through consumer choice and healthy lifestyle,” adding: “I look forward to considering his nomination.”

Kennedy is the son of former U.S. attorney general and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, and nephew to former President John F. Kennedy and Sen. Ted Kennedy. He has worked for years as an environmental attorney, but over the last two decades has become well known for promoting false claims that vaccines are unsafe or cause autism in children.

For some senators, Kennedy Jr.'s past skepticism is a boon to his candidacy.

"He brings in those questions that look from the outside instead of just saying let's take science's word for it," said Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla. "We ask those questions and let them prove that they are safe and that there isn't the side effects that there might or might not be."

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., said Kennedy would be "gamechanging" as HHS secretary.

Johnson, who also serves on the Senate Finance Committee, said Kennedy called him before dropping out of the presidential race to ask about his chances of getting confirmed as a Cabinet nominee.

"The first thing that was out of my mouth was, 'Bobby, this is the answer to my prayers,'" he said.

Other senators say they support the scientific consensus on vaccines but aren't concerned that Kennedy would derail that as HHS secretary.

"I think (Kennedy is) a good choice," said Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo. Asked if she has any concerns about his vaccine skepticism, she said: "No, because he has said publicly and repeatedly that he doesn't believe that it's his job to stand in the way of people who want vaccines."

Finance Committee member Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he "may disagree with him on some of the vaccines that children have to get in school" but said he's "happy to disagree with him on one thing or another."

"Everybody's making this like you're one issue away from not supporting a nominee," he added. "I don't operate that way."

Kennedy has said that abortion should be legal until a fetus is "viable outside the womb" and supports codifying the abortion protections that existed under Roe v. Wade – which has already frustrated some anti-abortion Republicans.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., blocked military promotions in the Senate for almost a year in protest of a Pentagon policy that paid for service members to travel to get an abortion.

But "as long as he's open about what he believes in, I'll be for him, probably," Tuberville said of Kennedy.

Asked about Kennedy's vaccine positions, Tuberville added: "I think we take way too many (vaccines.) I'm not against vaccines, I think they've helped us. I've taken a lot of them myself, but there's a lot of controversy now. We don't need to be human guinea pigs."

But not all senators say they're ready to sign off on Kennedy to lead the health agency.

Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said he has "concerns" about Kennedy's comments about vaccines, and said he wants to hear what Kennedy tells senators about his support for federal vaccine programs.

"He's going to ask questions about the processes and procedures for getting (vaccines), I suspect, and that's ok to ask the questions," Rounds said. "But I think in the end we need to be able to show our support for vaccine programs in the United States long term."

Democrats, meanwhile, have been vocally opposed to Kennedy.

"This could not be more dangerous," said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. "The consequences are not theoretical—they're life or death issues."

Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., called Kennedy: "Dangerous. Unqualified. Unserious."

The former independent presidential candidate faced opposition over his White House bid from many of his famous family members who initially supported President Joe Biden and then his replacement, Kamala Harris. Kennedy Jr., ultimately dropped out of the race in August and encouraged his supporters to back Trump, saying he had been promised a Cabinet position in the new Republican administration.

Kennedy will face confirmation hearings with the Senate Finance Committee. If approved by that panel, the full Senate will vote on his nomination.

For the next two years, the Senate will be controlled by Republicans with a 53-47 majority. If all Democrats band together to oppose Trump's nominees, only four Republicans would need to defect to defeat them.

However, Kennedy is far from the most controversial Cabinet nominee Trump has put forward. Gaetz and Hegseth both face sexual assault allegations that have already complicated their candidacies.

Sudiksha Kochi contributed.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump Cabinet pick RFK Jr. welcomed by GOP senators