The Senate affirmation comes regardless of objections from US Democrats over his anti-vaccine views
The US Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Well being and Human Companies on Thursday. The affirmation was secured regardless of Democratic objections to what they described as Kennedy’s promotion of ‘conspiracy theories’ about vaccines and diet.
The vote was largely divided alongside get together strains, with 52 Republicans supporting the nomination and 48 Democrats opposing it. Former GOP chief Mitch McConnell was the one Republican to vote in opposition to the affirmation.
Kennedy, 71, an environmental lawyer, was nominated by US President Donald Trump shortly after his reelection victory in November final 12 months.
The vote breakdown marks the second time in as many days that McConnell has opposed one in every of Trump’s nominees. He was the one Republican to oppose the affirmation of Tulsi Gabbard as Director of Nationwide Intelligence on Wednesday.
McConnell stated he refused again RFK Jr. as a result of nominee’s vaccine skepticism. “I’m a survivor of childhood polio … I cannot condone the re-litigation of confirmed cures, and neither will tens of millions of Individuals who credit score their survival and high quality of life to scientific miracles,” McConnell acknowledged.
Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, stated in an announcement that “when harmful illnesses make a comeback and other people wrestle to entry lifesaving vaccines, all Individuals pays the worth.”
Warren additionally warned that “together with his important, unresolved conflicts of curiosity, RFK Jr.’s household may proceed benefiting from his anti-vaccine agenda whereas he holds workplace.”
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