The Senate on February 13 confirmed the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. by a vote of 52-48 to become Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Only former Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) broke from his party and joined Democrats in opposing Mr. Kennedy’s nomination. As a polio survivor, Senator McConnell has criticized Mr. Kennedy’s anti-vaccine activism, a topic that was covered extensively during Mr. Kennedy’s two days of contentious Senate confirmation hearings. As HHS Secretary, Mr. Kennedy will oversee several federal agencies that administer aging services programs and funding, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Administration for Community Living (ACL), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as many others.

Also on February 13, President Donald Trump issued an executive order to create a Make America Healthy Again Commission, which is tasked with “investigating and addressing the root causes of America’s escalating health crisis, with an initial focus on childhood chronic diseases,” issues close to Secretary Kennedy’s interests.