Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska announced her support for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination to head the Department of Health and Human Services.
Murkowski’s endorsement came moments after the Senate voted on Wednesday to advance Kennedy’s nomination, teeing him up for a confirmation vote later this week. Although Kennedy was the focal point of two heated hearings in late January, more and more Republicans have indicated their support for the nominee, likely securing his confirmation.
‘There is much shared work ahead to achieve better public health outcomes, and I will push Mr. Kennedy to realize these goals.’
“I intend to support Robert Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation as Secretary of Health and Human Services,” Murkowski said. “While there is no dispute that the U.S. spends more per capita on healthcare than any other country, our health outcomes do not reflect this investment.”
“Instead of focusing on who covers our exorbitant healthcare costs, we need to reduce these costs by directing our attention to prevention and keeping people healthy,” Murkowski added. “This is the appeal of RFK, and many Alaskans have shared that view with me. Chronic conditions are a significant source of illness and major drivers of public debt; he recognizes this and is committed to addressing it.”
While Murkowski pointed to the many things she and Kennedy agreed on in her statement, she also mentioned certain areas of disagreement. Notably, Murkowski has had reservations about several of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees and even voted to block Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth alongside Republican Sens. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Susan Collins of Maine.
“I continue to have concerns about Mr. Kennedy’s views on vaccines and his selective interpretation of scientific studies, which initially caused my misgivings about his nomination,” Murkowski said. “Vaccines have saved millions of lives, and I sought assurance that, as HHS Secretary, he would do nothing to make it difficult for people to take vaccines or discourage vaccination efforts.”
Despite her hesitancies, Murkowski said that Kennedy’s many commitments ultimately swayed her to vote in favor of his confirmation.
“He has made numerous commitments to me and my colleagues, promising to work with Congress to ensure public access to information and to base vaccine recommendations on data-driven, evidence-based, and medically sound research,” Murkowski said. “These commitments are important to me and, on balance, provide assurance for my vote.”
“There is much shared work ahead to achieve better public health outcomes, and I will push Mr. Kennedy to realize these goals,” Murkowski added.
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