RFK Jr. Confirmed As HHS Secretary
Hippocrates said, “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food”.
Wendell Berry: “We have a food system that ignores health and a healthcare system that ignores food!”
How We Can Make America Healthy Again discusses America’s health crisis and how to solve it as American medicine is failing in treating chronic disease. Americans spend an average of $12,555 per person on health care annually according to the Peterson-KFF Health Care Tracker. By comparison, typical health care spending across developed nations is about $6,651, In early 2024, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stopped his campaign for the US presidency as an independent and joined Trump’s Transition Team. President Trump later nominated Kennedy as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Senate confirmed Kennedy after grueling sessions and he was sworn in on February 13. Kennedy’s job is to “Make America Healthy Again”.
Make America Healthy Again: Inspiring a Fit and Active Nation shows that Kennedy embodies fitness, is the ultimate outdoorsman, and is an inspiration for other Americans to shape up. He hikes uphill with his dogs every morning when he is home. He then goes to the gym where he does a very hard work out for 30 minutes.
For his 70th birthday on 1/17/24, Kennedy went surfing in Hawaii with Kelly Slater, the greatest surfer of all time. Kennedy has been an active skier for over 65 years. He learned white-water rafting when he was a teenager. See Kennedy’s description of running Class V rapids in Chile in 2006: In Remote Chile, a Paradise Carved by White Water.
RFK Jr. Nominated For HHS Secretary
HISTORIC: RFK JR NOMINATED FOR HHS SECRETARY
A sea change is expected to come for medical freedom with the historic appointment of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as Secretary of the US Dept of Health & Human Services. But the announcement has set off a cascade of reaction from important medical freedom leaders and media. Del shares his hope for this new era in health reform with a little demo. 11/21/24
RFK Jr. Confirmed As HHS Secretary
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Confirmed as Health and Human Services Secretary
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed to be Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) this morning. Kennedy has faced heavy scrutiny and criticism since announcing his third-party presidential campaign. That scrutiny and attention only intensified after he endorsed Donald Trump for president, shortly after Trump survived an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Kennedy expressed his desire to reform federal health agencies and solve the chronic disease epidemic. During an interview with Tucker Carlson, Kennedy said, “You know, my uncle was president, and I was a 10-year-old boy. The rate of chronic disease in this country was 6%. Today it’s 60%. When my uncle was president, we spent zero on chronic disease in this country. There were no drugs to treat it. Today we spend 4.3 trillion, 4.3 trillion, that’s five times our military budget. It’s the largest cost to our nation, and it is bankrupting us and it is destroying us morally because we are betraying our children by letting these industries poison them.”
Kennedy has expressed his concerns regarding toxic additives and pesticides in food. He called for an end to water fluoridation in the United States following a landmark ruling against the EPA last fall. Kennedy detailed the risks of petroleum-derived food dyes and their association with hyperactivity, autoimmune injuries, depression, and ADHD. Last month, the FDA banned Red 3 more than 30 years after research showed it causes thyroid cancer when consumed by rats. In an X post in October, Kennedy criticized corruption within the FDA and pledged major reforms upon assuming the role of HHS Secretary.
The most contentious issue during the hearings involved Senators accusing Kennedy of being anti-vaccine and supporting conspiracy theories. During an event with Tucker Carlson in the fall, Kennedy spoke about President Trump, saying, “He doesn’t want me to take vaccines away from people. If you want to take a vaccine, you ought to be able to take it. We believe in free choice in this country.
You ought to know the risks and benefits of everything you take, and we need good science for that, and we need informed consent, and he asked me to do that and then he asked me to end the chronic disease epidemic in this country and he said and he said I want to see results measurable results in the diminishment of chronic disease within two years and I said Mr. President, I will do that.”
Kennedy has also said the public can expect radical transparency from the public health agencies with him in charge at HHS and return to “gold standard safety testing.” He said President Trump asked him to do three things:
“1. Clean up the corruption in our government health agencies. 2. Return those agencies to their rich tradition of gold-standard, evidence-based science. 3. Make American Healthy Again by ending the chronic disease epidemic.”
Kennedy said, “All of the institutions of our government have been captured by the industries that they’re supposed to regulate. The NIH, CDC, and FDA have been captured by the pharmaceutical industry and the medical cartel. People are making money on sick children and on sick Americans.”
As HHS Secretary, Kennedy will oversee several federal agencies, including the CDC, FDA, and NIH. Former Rep Dave Wheldon, MD is the nominee for the CDC, Marty Makary, MD, MPH is the nominee for FDA. Jay Bhattacharya, author of the Great Barrington Declaration, is the nominee for the NIH.
The Administration for Children and Families is another agency overseen by HHS. The ORR falls under that agency and operates the Unaccompanied Children program, which is the program that has lost track of 300,000 migrant children. The HighWire spoke with whistleblower Tara Rodas last summer about child trafficking that has occurred as a result of this government program. Kennedy was asked about the missing children during the confirmation hearings.
“Trump has spoken to me about locating the 300,000 children who disappeared in the last 4 years,” Kennedy said. “Many have been sex trafficked… it is a blight on America’s moral authority… we need to find those kids.”
Tulsi Gabbard was confirmed by the Senate yesterday to serve as Director of National Intelligence, which oversees the CIA, FBI, and other agencies. Bhattacharya, Makary, Wheldon, and others are still awaiting scheduling for their confirmation hearings.
RFK Jr sworn in as US Health and Human Services chief
Robert F Kennedy Jr, one of President Donald Trump’s most controversial cabinet picks, has been sworn in as the next US Health and Human Services Secretary. The former presidential candidate will now oversee key health agencies with about 80,000 employees and a trillion-dollar budget. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle had questioned his baseless health claims and vaccine skepticism.
On Thursday, Kennedy was confirmed by a 52-48 vote. No Democrats backed him. Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was the lone Republican to vote against Kennedy. Trump swore Kennedy in himself in the Oval Office, marking another win for the president as he seeks to rapidly overhaul almost every level of government.
The Senate is putting in late nights and early mornings as they hurry to round out the president’s cabinet by confirming his remaining nominees. Lawmakers also approved Brooke Rollins as head of the Department of Agriculture by a vote of 72-28.
Kennedy is the second controversial cabinet pick to be confirmed this week after Tulsi Gabbard, another contested pick, was confirmed as director of National Intelligence in a narrow Senate vote on Wednesday. He will now oversee agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Kennedy will also be charged with overseeing the US health industry which includes food safety, pharmaceuticals, public health and vaccinations. He ran for the White House himself in 2024 as an independent, but dropped out and backed Trump.
The president’s decision to tap Kennedy to lead the federal health agency drew skepticism from several Republicans. Many questioned Kennedy’s past comments on immunisations, his ties to groups making unsubstantiated health claims and his views on abortion.
Kennedy is the founder of the anti-vaccine group Children’s Health Defense, which gained prominence in the US for casting doubt on the safety and efficacy of childhood vaccinations and making the discredited claim that the shots are linked to autism.
Kennedy, the nephew of former President John F Kennedy, has denied that he is anti-vaccination, pointing out his own children are immunised. He insisted during his confirmation hearings that he merely supports more stringent studies and safety tests for injections. Some Republicans have praised Kennedy for his criticism over the use of food additives and push to curb big pharma.
During the hearings, lawmakers also grilled Kennedy on his promotion of health misinformation and knowledge of the US healthcare system. He was asked to explain his stance on abortion, as he previously indicated that he was in favour of abortion rights. He responded by telling lawmakers he agreed with Trump that access to abortion should be controlled by individual states and that “every abortion is a tragedy”.
The exchange drew scrutiny from Democrats who accused Kennedy of “selling out” his pro-choice values in order to secure President Trump’s nomination. One of his hearings was interrupted by shouting protesters. But he also received loud applause when promising to make America healthy again, a slogan used by Trump’s administration.
Ahead of the hearing, Caroline Kennedy – the cousin of Robert F Kennedy Jr – urged US senators to reject him as the next health and human services secretary. She said Kennedy’s views on vaccines disqualify him from the role of being one of America’s leading health policymakers. It wasn’t enough to dissuade several Republicans who previously withheld their support from Kennedy but wound up approving his nomination during Thursday’s vote.
Many eyes were on Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican, who chairs the Senate Health Committee. Cassidy, a doctor, previously indicated that he was struggling with Kennedy’s stance on vaccines. He voted to confirm Kennedy. “We need to make America healthy again, and it is my expectation that Secretary Kennedy will get this done,” Cassidy posted on X after the vote.
Others closely watched McConnell, a Kennedy critic and polio survivor. McConnell had warned Kennedy not to undermine the polio vaccine. He voted against confirmation. “Individuals, parents, and families have a right to push for a healthier nation and demand the best possible scientific guidance on preventing and treating illness,” McConnell said in a statement. “But a record of trafficking in dangerous conspiracy theories and eroding trust in public health institutions does not entitle Mr. Kennedy to lead these important efforts.”
The Senate continues moving forward with Trump’s nominees. After confirming Kennedy, lawmakers are expected to advance the nomination of Howard Lutnick as the next Secretary of Commerce.
This tees up the final vote for his confirmation to take place by the end of the week. Lawmakers are also expected to take up the nomination of Kash Patel, Trump’s controversial choice to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), after the pick received approval from a key committee on Thursday. Trump’s pick to head the education department, Linda McMahon had her confirmation hearing on Thursday as well.
Breaking: RFK Jr. Sworn in as HHS Secretary 2/13/25
The U.S. Senate today voted to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services secretary. Kennedy, founder and former chairman of Children’s Health Defense, has vowed to end the epidemic of chronic disease in children.by Brenda Baletti, Ph.D.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was sworn in as the 26th secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) after the U.S. Senate earlier today voted 52-48 to confirm his nomination.
The vote ran largely along party lines, with almost every Republican supporting Kennedy’s nomination and all Democrats and independents opposing it. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the former longtime GOP leader, was the only Republican to vote “no.”
After he was sworn in, Kennedy told the press that as secretary his plans will include “radical transparency and returning gold-standard science to the NIH, the FDA and CDC,” and also “ending the corruption, ending the corporate capture of those agencies.”
CHD CEO Mary Holland said:
“Children’s Health Defense is thrilled that our founder Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has been confirmed as the Secretary of Health and Human Services. It has been a long, tough and ultimately successful road.
“Bobby richly deserves this honor, and CHD is confident that he will make great strides toward the goals he has set for HHS: radical transparency, gold-standard science and making America healthy again.
“We look forward to reporting on HHS activity and advancing HHS objectives where appropriate. CHD will continue to focus on our piece of the American health puzzle: ending the epidemic of chronic childhood disease.”
As HHS secretary, Kennedy will oversee the largest budget — $1.8 trillion for fiscal year 2025 — of any federal agency. HHS oversees 13 public health agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The agency, which employs 90,000, is also the largest federal grantmaker.
HHS also manages federally funded health insurance coverage and regulates private insurance. The agency sets policy for public health and disease control; coordinates emergency preparedness and response for natural disasters, health crises and other events; and oversees food and drug safety.
Kennedy suspended his own presidential campaign in August 2024 and agreed to join forces with then-presidential candidate Donald Trump to focus on “existential issues” for the American people, including ending the childhood chronic disease epidemic.
Since then, Kennedy has been one of Trump’s most contentious cabinet nominations, largely because of his positions on vaccine safety, his assertions that the public health agencies — and lead figures like Dr. Anthony Fauci — are captured by industry, and his public criticism of the COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. Kennedy has been heavily censored on social media and relentlessly smeared in the mainstream media, and even by senators.
Before this morning’s vote, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer addressed the Senate, saying, “I’m very proud that every single Democrat will oppose Mr. Kennedy’s nomination because Democrats know better than to elevate a conspiracy theorist to the top healthcare job in the country.” He implored Republican senators to vote against him.
Kennedy’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee on Jan. 29 lasted nearly four hours as Democratic senators grilled the lifelong Democrat on his “anti-vaccine” views, legal fees earned by suing drugmakers like Merck for injuries caused by their products, and whether he supported CHD’s sales of onesies imprinted with slogans like “UNVAXXED UNAFRAID.”
Kennedy denied he was anti-vaccine, insisting he was merely pro-safety and wanted to draw attention to the potential risks of vaccines. He focused his message to the committee on his plans to address the chronic disease epidemic — the central mandate of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement that backed his nomination.
He cited statistics showing sharp increases in cancer, diabetes, neurodevelopmental disorders, autoimmune diseases and other conditions since the 1960s. He said more than half of Americans today are chronically ill, calling this a “human tragedy” that is “writing off an entire generation of kids.”
Kennedy pledged to support healthy foods and the removal of harmful additives from the food supply. He also promised to rid HHS of the financial conflicts of interest that lead to compromised science and to restore research at HHS to “honest, unbiased, gold-standard science,” particularly related to vaccines.
Before the Finance Committee voted to advance Kennedy’s nomination, he won the essential support of Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a doctor who had expressed concerns about some of Kennedy’s positions on vaccines. Cassidy supported the nomination after he said Kennedy committed to meet or speak with him multiple times monthly, and to include Cassidy in the HHS hiring process.
Cassidy also said Kennedy agreed to maintain statements on the CDC website that vaccines do not cause autism and to maintain the recommendations of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
As secretary, Kennedy will also work closely with the heads of HHS agencies. Trump in November nominated Jay Bhattacharya, M.D., Ph.D., professor of health policy at Stanford’s School of Medicine and vocal critic of COVID-19 lockdowns, to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Dr. Martin “Marty” Makary, a pancreatic surgeon at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, is Trump’s pick to run the FDA. Makary has been broadly supportive of the childhood vaccine schedule, but has questioned the benefits of certain shots, like the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns. He has also criticized vaccine mandates.
Dr. David Weldon, Trump’s pick to lead the CDC, served seven terms in Congress before returning to his Florida practice. He has spoken out about the use of thimerosal — a mercury adjuvant — in vaccines, citing its link to autism.
