RFK Jr. Just Survived a Key Confirmation Hurdle As Senators Who Grilled Him Vote To Recommend Him for Health Secretary

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has survived his first major hurdle on the path to becoming Donald Trump's health secretary, after the Senate Finance Committee narrowly agreed to advance his nomination to the full Senate.

On Tuesday, Feb. 4, the committee responsible for vetting Kennedy voted 14-13 along party lines to recommend his confirmation. The move comes days after he faced skepticism from senators on both sides of the aisle about whether he is fit to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

Related: Caroline Kennedy Breaks Her Silence on Cousin RFK Jr., Blasting Him as 'Predator' Just Before His Confirmation Hearings

Kennedy, 71, was nominated as the health and human services secretary on Nov. 14, after Trump had vowed to give the anti-vaccine activist a prominent role in the administration and let him “do whatever he wants” with government health agencies.

The independent politician's nomination was met with bipartisan concerns given his controversial past statements and flip-flopping political views. One day before the confirmation process began, his cousin Caroline Kennedy sent a scathing letter to senators that included several allegations about his character and urged them to oppose his nomination.

Related: Caroline Kennedy's Takedown of RFK Jr. Ahead of Confirmation Hearings 'Is Shocking,' Says Family Source (Exclusive)

During both of his confirmation hearings on Jan. 29 and Jan. 30, senators grilled him over his past and called him out for changing his tune on issues like vaccines and abortion rights.

The 27-member Senate Finance Committee, which has a one-seat Republican majority, held the power to shut down the embattled candidate outright or advance his nomination to the full Senate with a recommendation on how to vote.

Related: RFK Jr. Called Out for Saying Black People Should Have Different Vaccine Protocol than White People: 'So Dangerous'

To be confirmed as a Cabinet member, a nominee must survive both a committee vote and a subsequent vote by the entire Senate body. During both steps, they only need a simple majority.

The Senate is currently controlled by Republicans in a 53-47 split, meaning a Trump nominee can only afford to lose three Republican votes to be officially confirmed, with Vice President J.D. Vance serving as a tie-breaker in the event of a 50-50 result.

Related: RFK Jr. Video Ignites Speculation That He Popped a Nicotine Pouch During Confirmation Hearing

Kennedy was easily one of Trump's riskiest nominations, given his longtime alignment with the Democratic Party, which upset Republicans, and his penchant for conspiracy theories, which earned public backlash from Democrats.

Heading into Tuesday, there was uncertainty about whether Senate Finance Committee members would vote along party lines. Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy and left-leaning independent Sen. Bernie Sanders were each seen as wild cards, though both ultimately fell in line.

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