RFK Jr. vows to be 'honest public servant' as HHS chief

Environmental lawyer and antivaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vowed to be an “honest public servant” if he gets confirmed as the head of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

“Together we will clean up corruption, stop the revolving door between industry and government, and return our health agencies to their rich tradition of gold-standard, evidence-based science,” Kennedy wrote in a Thursday post on the social platform X. “I will provide Americans with transparency and access to all the data so they can make informed choices for themselves and their families.”

“My commitment to the American people is to be an honest public servant. Let’s go,” he added. 

Kennedy was picked by President-elect Trump on Thursday to lead the department, which has a nearly $2 trillion budget and oversees 13 agencies. He would need to get confirmed through the Senate, which could prove to be a difficult feat, as some upper-chamber Democrats and public health officials expressed concerns over his selection. 

“Mr. Kennedy’s outlandish views on basic scientific facts are disturbing and should worry all parents who expect schools and other public spaces to be safe for their children,” Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said Thursday. “When Mr. Kennedy comes before the Finance Committee, it’s going to be very clear what Americans stand to lose under Trump and Republicans in Congress.” 

Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said Kennedy’s appointment at HHS “could set back America in terms of public health, reproductive rights, research and innovation, and so much else.” Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) said Kennedy’s nomination was “f‑‑‑ing insane.” 

But not all Democrats sounded the alarm. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) said he was “excited” about the nomination but hoped that the former independent presidential candidate does not enact any vaccine bans. 

“I hope he leans into personal choice on vaccines rather than bans (which I think are terrible, just like mandates) but what I’m most optimistic about is taking on big pharma and the corporate ag oligopoly to improve our health,” Polis wrote Thursday. 

Other lawmakers have shown support for the selection.

“RFK Jr. has championed issues like healthy foods and the need for greater transparency in our public health infrastructure,” Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said in a statement. “I look forward to learning more about his other policy positions and how they will support a conservative, pro-American agenda.”

Kennedy initially ran in the 2024 presidential race as a Democrat but left the party to compete as an independent. He suspended his White House bid in August and endorsed Trump, who he then supported on the campaign trail as a surrogate. He thanked Trump on Thursday for his “leadership and courage” and added that he was “committed to advancing your vision to Make America Healthy Again.” 

“I look forward to working with the more than 80,000 employees at HHS to free the agencies from the smothering cloud of corporate capture so they can pursue their mission to make Americans once again the healthiest people on Earth,” Kennedy wrote.