Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s choice to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, arrives to appear before the Senate Finance Committee for his confirmation hearing, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
WASHINGTON – To get to the U.S. Senate for a vote of his nomination, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. needs to have two committee hearings, one before the Finance committee on Wednesday and another in front of the Health, Education, Labor and Pension committee on Thursday.
Oversight of the U.S. Health and Human Services agencies is shared between the two committees. The finance committee is involved because the sprawling $1.7 trillion agency is responsible for a huge part of the nation’s economy — overseeing insurance for nearly half the country, funneling billions of dollars to the states for Medicaid and providing health insurance for the nation’s older Americans through Medicare.
Meanwhile, the HELP committee also has oversight of the agency’s program and agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration.
As Kennedy’s Senate confirmation hearings begin, his bid to become the nation’s top health official could depend on how staunchly he sticks to these personal beliefs during questioning. He has already softened some of his long-held views.
He’s facing some skepticism from the public, according to a new survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Only about 3 in 10 US adults approve of President Donald Trump nominating him to be secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. About 4 in 10 disapprove, while about one-quarter are either neutral or don’t know enough to say.
But he has points of strength, too. Trump’s choice of Kennedy is especially popular among Republicans: About 6 in 10 approve, compared to about 1 in 10 Democrats. And while many Americans disagree with some of Kennedy’s controversial health stances — including beliefs around reevaluating childhood vaccine recommendations and changing guidelines around fluoride in drinking water and raw milk consumption — some of his other stances, like reformulating processed foods, are broadly popular.
