The Republican-controlled Senate Finance Committee has confirmed the nomination of Robert Kennedy Jr. to the position of Secretary of Health and Human Services.
The outcome of the vote in the committee was 14 to 13. Kennedy's nomination was confirmed by the Republican members of that body.
This created the conditions for the full Senate to vote on the candidacy of Kennedy Jr., who was nominated for the position by President Donald Trump, during the week.
In order for Kennedy Jr.'s nomination to be confirmed, the support of at least 50 members of the upper house of Congress is required, out of a total of one hundred, which, as chairman of that body, could be provided by US Vice President J.D. Vance.
During the two-day hearing, Democratic members pointed to Kennedy's previous anti-vaccination claims, as well as conspiracy theories regarding life-saving medical treatments.
If Kennedy is confirmed, he will head the secretariat that oversees more than three trillion dollars in the health sector - which includes agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration, or the government health insurance programs Medicare and Medicaid, which are used by more than 140 million American citizens.
Kennedy is a scion of a Democratic dynasty, and he became known as a lawyer specializing in environmental issues, who successfully won disputes against corporations such as Monsanto and DuPont.
Kennedy has previously expressed his views that he wants to contribute to ending chronic diseases, sever ties between American healthcare workers and the pharmaceutical industry, and also that fluoride - a mineral that, as scientifically confirmed, improves oral and dental health - should be eliminated from drinking water.
He has criticized the American food industry, claiming that it adds ingredients to food that make citizens unhealthy. He is also a strong opponent of vaccines.
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