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The Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the secretary of health and human services, with Republican lawmakers dismissing Democrats' concerns regarding his support for conspiracy theories about vaccines and nutrition.
The vote was split nearly along party lines, with 52 Republicans in favor and 48 Democrats opposed. Former GOP leader Mitch McConnell was the sole Republican to vote no.
At the start of his testimony in January, Kennedy stated that all six of his children had been vaccinated. "News reports claim that I am anti-vaccine," he said. "All of my kids are vaccinated."
During the hearings, senators referenced a 2020 video in which Kennedy expressed that he wished his children had not been vaccinated. "I would do anything for that," he said in the video for Children's Health Defense. "I would pay anything to be able to do that."
"I support the measles vaccine. I support the polio vaccine. I will do nothing as HHS secretary that makes it difficult or discourages people from taking either of those vaccines," Kennedy said during the hearing. "Every medicine has people who are sensitive to them, including vaccines."
In front of senators, Kennedy pledged to champion "America's children" and particularly "the moms" as the head of the nation's health services.
Industry organizations weigh in on the confirmation
National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) president and CEO Steven Anderson issued the following statement on the confirmation:
“NACDS congratulates our next Secretary of Health and Human Services: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. The focus now is on improving Americans’ health. Pharmacies in communities across the nation will help.
“NACDS looks forward to engaging proactively to address the chronic disease crisis. Americans see pharmacies and pharmacists as the most accessible healthcare destinations, and among the most highly trusted. There is a pharmacy within five miles of 90 percent of Americans, and they can help mightily to fix a system that still focuses on ‘sick-care’ more than on ‘health-care.’
“It is essential to this Administration’s success and to America’s success to quickly deliver long-overdue reforms of pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) tactics that inflate people’s drug costs, that bar access to people’s pharmacy of choice, and that force pharmacies out of business. NACDS appreciates now-Secretary Kennedy’s recognition during the confirmation process that PBM reform is one of the top bipartisan issues in the Congress, and his pledges about legislative approaches to PBM reform, and that ‘President Trump is absolutely committed to fixing the PBMs.’
“In January, NACDS released our recommendations to the Trump Administration: ‘Four Wins to Make America Healthy Again.’ In addition to PBM reform and to the management and prevention of chronic-disease, NACDS urges the Administration to stop the system from cheating seniors out of access to pharmacy care services, and to remove unnecessary regulatory burdens standing between consumers and pharmacy care. We look forward to working with Secretary Kennedy on each of these recommendations which are key to really improving health, and to preventing healthcare from becoming more remote and out-of-reach for Americans.”
National Community Pharmacists Association CEO B. Douglas Hoey added:
“Now that Secretary Kennedy has been confirmed, we are eager to work with him and his team to educate them about how one of the country’s most important public health assets – the 19,000 independent pharmacies across the country – are in great jeopardy because of the unfair, anticompetitive business practices of PBMs and insurers that administer Medicare Part D for millions of seniors. He has shown a willingness to take on the corporations like big health insurance on behalf of citizens and small businesses. Small business-owned pharmacies are disappearing, and pharmacy deserts are forming, because of the business practices of Big Insurance and their PBM subsidiaries, and we very much hope Kennedy and the Trump administration will support our effort to rein in these bad actors,” he concluded.
“Making America healthy and keeping America healthy depends on access to affordable, reliable medicine,” said John Murphy III, president and CEO of the Association for Accessible Medicines. “Generic medicines drive deflation in the healthcare system, making up more than 90% of all U.S. prescriptions but only 13% of spending. The current system is broken when generic manufacturers struggle to break even while bureaucracy and middlemen drive cost increases for patients and U.S. taxpayers. We look forward to working with Secretary Kennedy to fix this broken system and develop a sustainable market for generic and biosimilar medicines in the United States,” he concluded.
HDA released a statement on the confirmation:
“The Healthcare Distribution Alliance and our nearly 40 healthcare distributor members are committed to working with Secretary Kennedy and the Trump administration to improve access to medications for all Americans while maintaining an efficient and reliable pharmaceutical supply chain. As logistics experts and a critical connection point between 1,200 manufacturers and approximately 330,000 sites of care, pharmaceutical distributors deliver 10 million medicines and healthcare products each day,
“HDA and our members work closely with HHS, as well as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), on a range of issues and shared priorities. HDA will continue to be a thought leader to HHS and its agencies as we collectively address Drug Supply Chain Security Act implementation, healthcare emergency planning and response efforts, the prevention of drug shortages, and the effective implementation of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, among other priorities. Working collaboratively, we will move closer to achieving our common goal of advancing the health and well-being of all Americans.”
Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) president and CEO Scott Melville said:
“CHPA and its member companies look forward to working with Secretary Kennedy to advance policies that will enhance American consumers’ access to safe, effective, and affordable self-care options. With a growing demand for OTC medicines, dietary supplements, and OTC medical devices, it is imperative that our nation’s healthcare leaders expand access, streamline regulatory pathways, and reinforce public confidence through transparent, data-driven decisions. This can be achieved through the reauthorization of the Over-the-Counter Monograph Drug User Fee Program (OMUFA), Rx-to-OTC switch improvements, and the modernization of the more than 30-year-old Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA).
“CHPA stands ready to collaborate with the Administration, Congress, and other stakeholders on advancing these and other critical policies that prioritize the essential role consumer healthcare products play in benefitting our nation’s public health.”
“We congratulate Secretary Kennedy on his confirmation to lead the Department of Health and Human Services,” said JC Scott, president and CEO of The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA). “America’s pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) look forward to working with Secretary Kennedy to lower prescription drug costs for every American patient.
“We believe it’s important to address the prices set by drug companies and misuse of the patent system that blocks market-based competition for more affordable alternatives like generics and biosimilars. Promoting greater competition will lead to lower spending on prescription drugs in federal health care programs.
“We stand ready to partner with the new Administration to deliver for American patients.”
