In a party-line vote, zero Democrats and 52 Republicans in the Senate voted Thursday to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the new head of the Department of Health and Human Services. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was the sole Republican to oppose President Trump's nominee.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., a physician and the chair of the Senate's health committee, was originally hesitant but changed his mind last week after promises that Kennedy made to him.
The 82-year-old McConnell, who has served in the Senate since 1985 and is the longest-serving party leader in that body, recovered from polio when he was 4. He still walks with a limp and suffers health problems related to the illness.
He contracted the disease in 1944, before the polio vaccine was available, and experienced paralysis in his left leg. Immunization campaigns starting in the 1950s eventually eliminated the scourge in the United States.
During the coronavirus pandemic, McConnell was a supporter of the COVID-19 vaccine and the push to develop treatments, telling The Associated Press that the moment reminded him of the fear surrounding polio in his childhood.
He issued a statement Thursday on Kennedy's nomination that explains his views in stark terms:
"I'm a survivor of childhood polio. In my lifetime, I've watched vaccines save millions of lives from devastating diseases across America and around the world. I will not condone the re-litigation of proven cures, and neither will millions of Americans who credit their survival and quality of life to scientific miracles.
"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. 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.
"This Administration – led by the same President who delivered a medical miracle with Project Warp Speed – deserves a leader who is willing to acknowledge without qualification the efficacy of life-saving vaccines and who can demonstrate an understanding of basic elements of the U.S. healthcare system. Mr. Kennedy failed to prove he is the best possible person to lead America's largest health agency. As he takes office, I sincerely hope Mr. Kennedy will choose not to sow further doubt and division but to restore trust in our public health institutions."
McConnell was also the only Republican senator to vote against Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence, and he voted against Pete Hegseth for defense secretary.
At a news conference on Thursday, Trump disparaged McConnell's mental fitness and said that he didn't know anything about McConnell having polio. "He's a very bitter guy," Trump said.
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