(Feb. 19, 2025) - On Feb. 13, the United States Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to be Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services by a vote of 52-48.
Following Sec. Kennedy’s confirmation, President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing the Make America Healthy Again Commission to be chaired by Kennedy. The commission will be tasked with investigating and addressing the root causes of America’s escalating health crisis, with an initial focus on childhood chronic diseases.
The commission has four main policy directives to reverse chronic disease:
- Empower Americans through transparency and open-source data and avoid conflicts of interest in all federally funded health research.
- Prioritize gold-standard research on why Americans are getting sick in all health-related research funded by the federal government.
- Work with farmers to ensure that U.S. food is healthy, abundant and affordable.
- Ensure expanded treatment options and health coverage flexibility for beneficial lifestyle changes and disease prevention.
Within 100 days, the commission will produce an assessment that summarizes what is known and what questions remain regarding the childhood chronic disease crisis. Also, within 180 days, the commission will produce a strategy, based on the findings of the assessment, to improve the health of America’s children.
Additionally, Tom Engels was appointed as the new administrator for the Health Resources and Services Administration. Engels previously held the same role in the first Trump administration from 2019 to 2021.
The next significant health nominee to seek confirmation is Dr. Mehmet Oz to be Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Dr. Oz, a former thoracic surgeon and daytime talk show host, will face a hearing and will need a vote of confirmation from the Senate Finance Committee. The hearing date has not yet been determined.