Less than two weeks before President-elect Donald Trump’s inaguration, Trump’s pick to become the Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary – Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. – is meeting with Senate Democrats on key health committees this week as he makes his case for why he should lead the department.
And while insiders say RFK, Jr. has the votes to secure the position, one of the country’s top Democrats has orchestrated a plan to keep RFK, Jr. out of the top spot.
According to Fox News, Hawaii’s Democratic Governor and practicing physician, Josh Green, is D.C. this week to lobby lawmakers against the nomination of RFK, Jr.
Green also penned an op-ed for The New York Times yesterday where he argued that “our children’s lives depend” on preventing Kennedy from leading the agency.
Green, who worked as a physician before entering politics, has continued practicing emergency room medicine throughout his legislative career.
In 2019, as Hawaii’s lieutenant governor, Green helped spearhead efforts to increase vaccination rates in Samoa amid a measles outbreak in the region.
“As the only physician governor, I need to explain what are good picks and what maybe aren’t so good picks for the cabinet,” Green said in a video ahead of his planned trip to Washington, noting that his lobbying against Kennedy is not anything personal or politically motivated. “[RFK Jr’s] appointment to be the head of Health and Human Services is not consistent with safety for our children,” he said.
During his trip, Green said that he would be discussing with lawmakers and other leaders to explore “a better place for [RFK Jr.] to be” rather than HHS, calling his potential confirmation “a bad idea.”
According to the Fox News report, Green’s criticism of Kennedy has largely revolved around his anti-vaccine views. In particular, Kennedy’s response to a measles outbreak in Samoa, during which the potential future HHS Secretary promoted doubts around vaccine efficacy.
However, reports have surfaced from Capitol Hill insiders that support for RFK, Jr’s confirmation is coming from both sides of the aisle.
South Carolina Republican Representative Nancy Mace claimed that the former Democrat had already earned the necessary support, noting the following on an X post.
MAHA 🇺🇸🇺🇸 https://t.co/SOwhO07GN5
— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) January 7, 2025
And a post by the account “Leading Report,” said: “BREAKING: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has reportedly secured the votes needed to be confirmed as HHS Secretary.”
BREAKING: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has reportedly secured the votes needed to be confirmed as HHS Secretary. pic.twitter.com/qDDLhy3L2A
— Leading Report (@LeadingReport) January 5, 2025
And according to a report in The Hill this week, independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and Pennsylvania Democratic Senator John Fetterman were “at least considering voting for Kennedy.”
Proponents of Kennedy’s nomination, particularly those in the medical field, have suggested RFK Jr’s proposed plans, if confirmed, will be rooted in logic and science.
“I think that Kennedy has aimed to stand for evidence-based changes to policy,” said Nina Teicholz, a nutrition expert and founder of The Nutrition Coalition, a New York-based nonprofit organization.
“Right now, the media is covering RFK Jr. poorly and unfairly, giving him no credit for ideas that are well within the bounds of discussion,” added Dr. Vinay Prasad, in an article published by The Free Press. “Many of RFK Jr.’s ideas have a logic.”