Robert F. Kennedy Jr., previously a Westchester inhabitant and one-time presidential nominee, is inching closer to becoming the national health leader. On Tuesday, Jan. 4, the Senate Finance Committee lent him their approval, pushing forward his candidacy to the full Senate. The approval process wasn’t without turbulence; the hearing witnessed numerous public disruptions leading to escort outs. The Democrats vociferously criticized Kennedy for his views regarding pandemic handling and vaccination, among other things.
An avid conspiracy theory supporter, Kennedy has often been reprimanded for his controversial takes, including blaming COVID-19 on xenophobic and anti-Semitic motives, suggesting the virus was created as a tactical gesture to exclude Jewish and Asian communities. Adding to his controversies is his long-standing opposition to vaccination. Such contentious positions faced extensive review and criticism throughout the committee hearing.
Assuming Kennedy earns final Senate confirmation, he will chair the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This agency, controlling health funding exceeding $3 trillion, commands a significant role in national health affairs, including oversight of the Food and Drug Administration and administration of federal Medicare and Medicaid programs. The fate of Kennedy’s nomination hung in balance during the committee vote, tied 14 to 13, finally tipped in his favor by Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican.
While Cassidy, a practicing physician, expressed reservations about Kennedy’s opposition to vaccines, he nevertheless supported Kennedy’s candidature. He has publicly disagreed with Kennedy’s stance on vaccines, describing it as ‘incorrect.’ The decision to establish Kennedy as the succeeding Health and Human Services Secretary now lies in the hands of the Senate. A Republican edge in the Senate votes implies that at least four Republican senators would have to diverge from their party’s line and vote down Kennedy to quash his nomination.
New York’s representation in the Senate comes from Senators Chuck Schumer and Kristen Gillibrand, both representatives of the Democratic Party. Their views on Kennedy’s nomination have been openly declared across various news outlets and social media channels. Gillibrand has a history of supporting Kennedy, evidenced by their joint 2009 initiative calling for federal investments in the field of environmental education for students.
Gillibrand echoed their shared interests in her 2024 December public appearance, expressing a hope to ‘find common ground with Mr. Kennedy.’ However, Schumer voiced strong criticism of Kennedy’s newfound stance on vaccines, questioning the legitimacy of his sudden change of opinion. Schumer pledged to keep Kennedy accountable for spreading misinformation about vaccines over the years.
For years, Kennedy has been renowned as a vocal advocate on health issues, covering topics ranging from the potential harm of food additives and colorants to the effectiveness of vaccines. In recent times, however, Kennedy ostensibly appears to be distancing himself from his previous anti-vaccination standpoints. This is marked by his resignation from the anti-vaccine organization, Children’s Health Defense.
Kennedy’s political strategy during his presidential run centered around the ‘Make America Healthy Again’ campaign, which earned him nationwide recognition. Besides his hardline stance on vaccines, he has also shown a keen interest in eliminating synthetic additives and coloring agents from American food. A noteworthy information nugget from this month was the announcement by the FDA, still operating under the then HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra from the Biden administration, of a prohibition on the usage of Red Dye No. 3 in edibles and medication.
In reaction to the news of Kennedy’s nomination to lead the DHHS, many industry leaders publicly expressed their worries. The year 2024 dealt another blow to Kennedy’s reputation as he was charged with using a Westchester address as his domicile on his petition for a presidential run in New York. The judge dismissed his residence claim as a falsehood and invalidated his presidential run petition.
The judgment went into appeal in the Supreme Court but ultimately ended up being unsuccessful. Kennedy’s opponents have consistently referred back to this incident as a reason to doubt his credibility and integrity. Prior to this, Kennedy held a position as an environment-defending attorney in the Hudson Valley and was celebrated by Time Magazine in 1999 as one of the ‘Heroes of the Planet.’
This honor was a consequence of his commendable work with Riverkeeper, a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to preserving the Hudson River. Alongside these events, the year 2024 included an assortment of unusual public announcements by Kennedy. Notably, he revealed an unexpected discovery of an intestinal parasite in his brain.
Kennedy also found himself at the epicenter of another peculiar news incident, wherein he admitted to removing the head of a dead whale and transporting it to his Westchester residence. The information came to the fore in a retold interview by one of Kennedy’s children. This pattern of unconventional confessions from Kennedy, coupled with the serious revelations about his political and personal life, have presented a roller-coaster journey in his run up to the potential highest health office.