Robert F Kennedy cleared the first hurdle needed to be confirmed as US health secretary when his nomination was approved by a Senate committee Tuesday.
The vote split along party lines, 14-13, with all Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee voting in favour of the vaccine sceptic who threw his support behind Donald Trump after ending a presidential bid of his own and whose health expertise has been questioned.
Kennedy’s nomination will now move to a vote of the full US Senate, which Republicans control 53-47.
Senators questioned Kennedy about his views on vaccines and other health issues and tested his knowledge about US public health infrastructure.
During the hearings he insisted that he was not opposed to vaccines, nor a conspiracy theorist, but that he supports more stringent safety tests.
But senators zeroed in on his past comments, including a podcast appearance where he said: “There’s no vaccine that is safe and effective.”
Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent who organises and works with Democrats, praised RFK Jr’s “Make America Healthy Again” slogan. But the senator then later showed pictures of baby clothes printed with anti-vaccine messages sold by Children’s Health Defence, an organisation that Kennedy headed until recently.
Kennedy responded that he no longer has oversight of the group.
Although RFK Jr’s testimony last week did not win over any Democrats to his side, he did manage to win the crucial support of Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy.
Cassidy, a doctor, had expressed scepticism about Kennedy’s nomination, but ultimately supported him during Tuesday’s committee hearing, clearing the way for a full Senate vote.
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