A 53–47 vote along party lines moved Kennedy one step closer to becoming HHS secretary.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s path to becoming secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) received a significant boost on Feb. 12 when the Senate voted 53–47 to invoke cloture on his nomination for the post.
The decision was made hours after the chamber confirmed Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence.
Cloture is a parliamentary procedure in the Senate to conclude debate on a proposal and move to a vote.
Kennedy ran for president as a Democrat and then as an independent before leaving the race on Aug. 23, 2024, and backing then-former President Donald Trump. He must get a simple majority to gain confirmation.
Republicans hold a 53–47 majority in the chamber. The full Senate vote is expected to happen on Feb. 13.
Kennedy appeared before the Senate Committee on Finance on Jan. 29 for his first confirmation hearing as Trump’s nominee for HHS secretary.
He was questioned by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on Jan. 30.
Last week, the Senate Finance Committee advanced his nomination to the Senate floor for a full vote with a 14–13 tally.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) is a physician who said at the Senate Finance Committee’s confirmation hearing that he was “struggling” with supporting Kennedy because of the nominee’s stance on vaccines.
He was seen as a potential hurdle to Kennedy advancing out of the Senate Finance Committee, but ultimately, he cast a yes vote.
“If confirmed, I look forward to working together with Mr. Kennedy to achieve President Trump’s mission of improving the health of all Americans,” the Republican doctor said at the Senate Finance Committee’s vote.
Fighting chronic disease, improving children’s health, and addressing corporate influence on government agencies were vital parts of Kennedy’s stated presidential campaign platform.
If confirmed, he would head a department that manages 13 agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institutes of Health.
Kennedy has promised significant changes throughout the department and has vowed to address the nation’s chronic disease epidemic.
