In a party-line vote, the Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the new head of the Department of Health and Human Services, with 52 Republicans voting in favor and no Democrats supporting him. Senate leader Mitch McConnell was the only Republican to oppose, citing Kennedy's history of conspiracy theories and their potential impact on public health trust. McConnell, a polio survivor, emphasized the importance of vaccines in saving lives, which influenced his fierce stance against Kennedy's leadership based on past statements against scientific consensus.
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.
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