Trump Nominates RFK Jr. to Lead Dept. of Health and Human Services
President-elect Donald Trump has moved quickly in the first week after winning a second term and has already announced several cabinet picks, including Robert F Kennedy Jr. for the role of Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). RFK Jr. has vowed to take immediate action to combat “the chronic disease epidemic in this country” and said he will “go wild on health” to make America healthy again.
RFK Jr. abandoned his own presidential campaign to endorse President-elect Trump, who promised him a big health role in the new government and there is no bigger role than HHS Secretary. The HHS Secretary oversees more than 80,000 employees across 14 agencies including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), and Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and had a $3.09 trillion budget in 2024.
RFK Jr. is a controversial pick as his views often depart from scientific consensus. RFK Jr. has a long record of promoting anti-vaccine views, including the debunked claim that vaccines cause autism. RFK Jr. also claimed there was “substantial and scientifically credible evidence establishing fluoride poses a risk to human health,” and that he is considering a ban on adding fluoride to drinking water. The CDC has called the addition of fluoride to drinking water one of the top 10 greatest public achievements of the 20th century due to the dramatic reduction of tooth decay.
“I am thrilled to announce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services,” wrote President-elect Trump on Truth Social. “For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health.”
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The Safety and Health of all Americans is the most important role of any Administration, and HHS will play a big role in helping ensure that everybody will be protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming Health Crisis in this Country,” wrote Trump.
RFK Jr. thanked Trump for the nomination and confirmed on X that, “I’m committed to advancing your vision to Make America Healthy Again.” If appointed, there will likely be a major shakeup of many HHS agencies, especially the FDA. In a recent NBC interview, RFK Jr. said, “There are entire departments, like the nutrition department at the FDA, that have to go.”
The views of RFK Jr. on health information privacy and security are unclear; however, there is bipartisan support for increased cybersecurity requirements for healthcare organizations, so it is likely that the HIPAA Security Rule update due to be proposed by the HHS next month will likely go ahead. As for the future direction of OCR, that should become clearer when a new OCR director is appointed.
“We have a generational opportunity to bring together the greatest minds in science, medicine, industry, and government to put an end to the chronic disease epidemic,” wrote Kennedy. “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.”
Other priorities stated while campaigning include “[reorienting] federal health agencies toward chronic disease – including obesity, diabetes autism, and cancer – and rid them of Big Pharma’s influence,” tackling the substance abuse crisis in America, removing processed food from school lunches, and getting chemicals out of the food industry. There is one potential hurdle in the way. A Senate vote must confirm the appointment. While the Republicans have control of the Senate, that does not guarantee confirmation of the appointment due to some of RFK Jr.’s controversial views on health matters.
