Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has had his health secretary nomination advanced by the US Senate

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday moved forward with President Donald Trump’s nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, setting the stage for a final confirmation vote in the coming days.

The Senate voted 53-47 along party lines to end debate on Kennedy’s nomination, despite strong opposition from Democrats and public health experts, mainly due to his decades-long stance against vaccines, including those widely regarded as safe and effective.

Kennedy also faced criticism for controversial comments in which he claimed that COVID-19 was genetically engineered to target Caucasians and Black people while sparing Jewish and Chinese populations.

If confirmed, as expected, by the Republican-controlled Senate, Kennedy, 71, will oversee the nation’s top health agency, which manages the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Medicare and Medicaid programs for seniors, low-income individuals, and people with disabilities.

Kennedy briefly ran for president in 2023, initially seeking the Democratic nomination before switching to an independent bid. He ended his campaign by endorsing Trump.

During his confirmation hearings, Kennedy sought to reassure senators of his support for vaccination efforts, telling the Senate Finance Committee that vaccines "play a critical role in healthcare" and pointing out that his own children are vaccinated.

A former environmental lawyer, Kennedy is the son of former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968 while running for the Democratic presidential nomination.