MAGA pressure on Republican holdout saves RFK Jr.'s nomination

President Donald Trump's Cabinet pick Robert Kennedy Jr. squeaked through to advance his nomination for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy was a controversial nominee who was put under the microscope for his stances on vaccinations, abortion and for promoting conspiracy theories. He needed the support of every Senate Republican on the Senate Finance Committee for his nomination to move forward to a full vote in the Senate, and in the end he squeaked through. Sen. Bill Cassidy, a physician, had major concerns with Kennedy's ever-changing position on vaccines. But it appears Trump and his MAGA allies successfully pressured the senator to back Kennedy, getting him over the procedural hurdle. 'I’ve had very intense conversations with Bobby and the White House over the weekend and even this morning,' Cassidy wrote on X.'I want to thank VP JD specifically for his honest counsel. With the serious commitments I’ve received from the administration and the opportunity to make progress on the issues we agree on like healthy foods and a pro-American agenda, I will vote yes,' he said ahead of the vote. The Senate will now set up a final confirmation vote for Kennedy in the coming days as Trump pushes through his top advisers. Kennedy isn't Trump's first Cabinet nominee to face a grueling confirmation process. Tulsi Gabbard also has a tough committee vote scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. Robert Kennedy Jr. testifying before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on January 30  President Donald Trump 's Cabinet pick Robert Kennedy Jr. squeaked through to advance his nomination for secretary of the Department of Health and Human ServicesThe vote came after Kennedy faces two grueling confirmation hearings last week on Capitol Hill. The first was before the Senate Finance Committee where lawmakers raised his past anti-vaccine work and slammed by Democrats for promoting conspiracy theories. Senators also raised questions about how he would handle Medicare and Medicaid and expressed concerns after he appeared to confuse key details about the programs.Some Republican senators also pressed him for reassurances about his stance on abortion after the former Democrat previously said he was pro-abortion rights. One day later, Kennedy went before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee for a second hearing. In both hearings, Kennedy insisted he was pro-vaccine and pro-science and would follow the data. But some lawmakers were not convinced. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), a physician who chairs the HELP Committee grilled Kennedy over his stance on vaccines and pressed him to deny there were a link between vaccines and autism, but Kennedy would not unequivocally say it.At the end of the hearing, the senator said he was 'struggling' with Kennedy's over his past statements which undermined confidence in childhood vaccines. While the HELP committee would not vote to advance Kennedy's nomination Cassidy also sits on the Senate Finance Committee, which does vote.Heading into Tuesday, Cassidy who is up for reelection in 2026, was facing immense pressure from Kennedy backers to vote for the nominee. As of Monday evening, he was still undecided on how he would vote. This story is developing and will be updated.   Advertisement Share or comment on this article: MAGA pressure on Republican holdout saves RFK Jr.'s nomination

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