President-elect Trump has appointed anti-vaxxer and environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
HHS has a budget of nearly $2 trillion and manages federal health programs, including Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. HHS and its subagencies are responsible for responding to diseases and public health threats such as COVID-19 and avian influenza, as well as for approving fresh medicines, including vaccines.
HHS oversees 13 different agencies, and Kennedy has long argued that they all urgently need reform.
“I am pleased to announce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) of the United States,” Trump posted on social media Thursday afternoon. “For too long, Americans have been oppressed by the industrial food complex and pharmaceutical companies that have engaged in deception, misinformation and disinformation when it comes to public health.”
“Mr. Kennedy will return these agencies to the traditions of gold standard scientific research and beacons of transparency to end the chronic disease epidemic and make America great and healthy again!” the president-elect added.
Politico first reported the news.
The position requires Senate confirmation. Although it could be arduous, the nomination is a sign that Trump feels empowered by the comfortable Republican majority in the upper house.
Trump has also promised to bypass the confirmation process by making appointments during recess.
Kennedy brings with him a deep skepticism of pharmaceutical companies and the federal agencies that oversee them. But now he could soon find himself at the helm of the same agencies as he pursues his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda.
“RFK Jr. has championed issues such as healthy food and the need for greater transparency in our public health infrastructure,” Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said in a statement. “I look forward to learning more about his other policy positions and how they will support a conservative, pro-American agenda.”
Cassidy will chair the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee next session. The HELP Committee has jurisdiction over most health nominees, but the Senate Finance Committee confirms the HHS secretary.
The move rattled Democrats and public health leaders, who fear Kennedy could interfere with key government agencies, augment vaccine hesitancy and steer agency funding toward his favored views.
Kennedy founded one of the country’s most prominent anti-vaccination groups, pushing the debunked claim that vaccines cause autism in children. Kennedy has said in recent interviews he doesn’t want to take away approved vaccines, but claims health officials haven’t done enough research on them.
The nomination is a reward for Kennedy, who initially ran for president as a Democrat before switching to independent status and then dropping out and throwing his support behind Trump. It’s also a recognition that Kennedy’s substantial bet on Trump largely paid off.
Kennedy said federal health officials are “sock puppets” held captive by industry special interests. Kennedy vowed Clean entire departments at the Food and Drug Administration to root out corruption.
Kennedy has recently claimed he wants to eliminate fluoride from the nation’s drinking water supply, worrying health officials who see the addition of the mineral as a major step forward for dental health.
In the final days of the campaign, Trump said he would let Kennedy “go wild” over the government’s health care systems.
“He will facilitate make America fit again. … He wants to do some things, and we’re going to let him get to it,” Trump said in a victory speech at Mar-a-Lago after the election.
Updated: 5:22 p.m
