Robert F. Kennedy Jr.An eminent lawyer and criticism of vocal vaccine was confirmed Thursday morning as the new United States Health Secretary, following a 52-48 vote by the US Senate.
The Secretary of Health and Social Services (HHS) controls $ 1.7 billion of expenditure for vaccines, food security and health insurance programs such as Medicare and Medicaid for about half of the country’s population, without Talking about medical research, public health awareness, hospital surveillance and funding for community health care clinics.
Despite several Republicans expressing deep skepticism about his opinions on vaccines, Kennedy won a confirmation victory. The Republican senators have largely adopted the vision of Kennedy, reciting his newly hatched slogan to “make America again healthy” (Maha) in speeches.
Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the former head of the majority and survivor of Polio, was the only republican to vote against confirmation. All the Democrats opposed Kennedy.
McConnell explained his vote In a granted declaration published on its official website.
“Individuals, parents and families have the right to put pressure for a healthier nation and to request the best possible scientific advice on the prevention and treatment of diseases,” he read in part. “But a record of Trafficking in dangerous conspiracy theories and eroding confidence in public health institutions Is not entitled to Mr. Kennedy to direct these important efforts. »»
Get national news
For news that has an impact on Canada and worldwide, register for the safeguarding of news alerts that are delivered to you directly when they occur.
The senator said he could not “tolerate the retribution of proven remedies”.
Kennedy, 71, whose famous names and family tragedies have put him under national spotlights since he was a child, won a formidable follow -up with his populist opinions – and sometimes extreme – on food, chemicals and chemicals and chemicals and chemicals and chemicals Vaccines.
THE COVVI-19 pandemic Offered Kennedy a chance to develop his audience, when he devoted a large part of his time to a non -profit organization that has pursued vaccines and has exploited social media campaigns to erode confidence in vaccines as well as that the government agencies that promote them.
During his confirmation hearings, Kennedy said he would favor the fight against chronic diseases, which he attributed to the result of additives in the pollution of the American food and environment. He said health agencies have spent too much time and money to infectious diseases, allowing chronic diseases to grow.
With the support of Republican President Donald Trump, Kennedy thinks that it is “unique positioned” to revive confidence in these public health agencies, which include food and drug administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes For Health.
Democrats remained skeptical, pushing Kennedy without success during the hearings to refuse a discredited theory for a long time according to which vaccines cause autism. And some have made alarms on Kennedy benefiting financially from the evolution of the guidelines of vaccines or weakening the federal protections of prosecution against vaccines.
Kennedy won more than $ 850,000 last year from an arrangement referring to customers to a law firm who continued Gardasil manufacturers, a human papillomavirus vaccine that protects against cancer the uterus.
“I am not anti-vaccine,” Kennedy told a senatorial committee last week. He also said: “I support the measles vaccine. I support the polio vaccine. I will do nothing as secretary of the HHS who makes the task difficult or discourages people from taking one of these vaccines. »»
But before he was nominated, Kennedy sought to discredit the vaccines. He said, “The coated blows are a Crime against humanity“And he told Fox News that he always believed in the demystified idea that Vaccines can cause autism And urged people in 2021 to “resist” the CDC guidelines on the moment when children are expected to get vaccines.
Once Kennedy was sworn later Thursday, Trump Sign an executive decree to establish a Maha commissionAnd will direct the new HHS secretary “to investigate this chronic crisis that afflicted our country,” the White House spokesman Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday.
– With files from the Associated Press
& Copy 2025 Global News, A Division of Corus Entertainment Inc.