The Senate on Wednesday advanced the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. with a final confirmation vote that could take place as early as Thursday.
The 53-47 vote was along party lines, and the approval indicates he will likely be confirmed as President Donald Trump’s pick for the top public health position.
One surprising yes vote came from Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) who had polio as a child and had previously said that any of Trump’s nominees who were seeking Senate confirmation should steer clear of efforts to discredit the polio vaccine. Despite Kennedy’s history of questioning the safety and efficacy of vaccines and false claims implying a link between vaccines and autism, McConnell voted in favor of advancing the nomination to the full Senate floor.
But McConnell’s final vote is still unclear. He also voted to advance the nomination of Tulsi Gabbard as director of National Intelligence but on Wednesday voted against her confirmation.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said in a post on X that she will vote to confirm Kennedy as secretary of the Health and Human Services. Despite her concerns and misgivings about his nominations due to his views on vaccines and his selective interpretation of scientific studies, Murkowski said she is reassured by his commitment to work with Congress to ensure public access to information and base vaccine recommendations on data-driven, evidence-based, and medically sound research.
RELATED: Senators press RFK Jr. on his history of vaccine skepticism during second confirmation hearing for HHS secretary
Another potential no vote was Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who told Kennedy during confirmation hearings he was struggling over the nomination because of his vaccine views. Cassidy, an advocate of vaccines, ultimately voted in favor of advancing the nomination to the full Senate based on commitments he received from Kennedy and the Trump administration, he said in a post on X.
RELATED: Senate Finance Committee advances Kennedy nomination to full Senate
But Senator Ron Wyden (D–Ore.) opposed the nomination on Wednesday, stating “a vote for RKF Jr. is a vote for a sicker America.” Wyden said that despite Kennedy leading a movement as “Make America Healthy Again,” he has refused to stand up for policies that will keep Americans healthy and out of the hospital. “From vaccines to affordable health insurance, to lower drug prices, to women’s reproductive health care, Mr. Kennedy ducked, dodged, and weaved instead of answering basic questions," Wyden said. "When he did answer, he demonstrated a shocking lack of knowledge about the federal health programs he’ll be charged with running, and a willful desire to mislead senators about his views on science matters like vaccine safety."