Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. accused Senate Republicans of seeking to block his agenda by threatening to oppose certain nominees as he sought to rally supporters of his Make America Healthy Again movement.
“Every time I tried to do something robust, I would get calls saying, ‘If you do that, we’re not going to confirm your appointees,’” Kennedy said at a MAHA Action event Monday. He did not specify which Senate Republicans he was referring to.
Democrats, who pulled off a long-shot bid to win the Senate, are unlikely to support President Donald Trump’s health nominees, Kennedy recalled telling his senior staff the day after the midterm elections.
Because of the dynamic, “the Senate no longer has any leverage over me. And that’s a big deal. And we have Steve Miller in, who’s a friend of our movement,” Kennedy said, referring to Trump’s new chief of staff, Stephen Miller. “And I don’t think anything is going to get in our way now.”
Congressional Democrats are certain to launch investigations into the Health and Human Services Department, with some saying Kennedy should resign or be fired.
At Monday’s event, Kennedy also offered support for Susie Wiles, who stepped down last week as Trump’s chief of staff. Kennedy said she helped broker his relationship with Trump, and he listed policies his department has put in place over the past two years.
“We got those things done because we had support in the White House,” Kennedy said. “And Susie was the author of that support, and I’m very grateful to her for her leadership.”
Last week, Calley Means, an ally of Kennedy and former White House adviser, accused top administration aides, including Wiles, and strategists of catering to powerful industries and prioritizing money for the midterms.
The White House said last week that “the MAHA coalition has found a champion in President Trump, who has made incredible strides to Make America Healthy Again.” Some aides have defended themselves against the allegations.
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