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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been sworn in as the new secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Supreme Court Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch presided over the ceremony at the White House.
As the new chief, Kennedy will manage a federal department that operates on around $2 trillion budget and oversee its program, activities and divisions, HHS said Thursday. The agency’s key divisions include the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Kennedy formally assumed office hours after the Senate confirmed his nomination with a 52 to 48 vote.
Following his swearing-in, Kennedy thanked President Donald Trump and vowed to “solve the childhood chronic disease epidemic” that the president focused on in his “Establishing the President’s Make America Healthy Again Commission” executive order.
He added that under his leadership, HHS will provide American mothers with the tools to “make informed decisions for their children.”
Member of the Kennedy Family
The 26th HHS secretary is a member of the Kennedy clan. He is the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy and the son of Robert F. Kennedy, who served as attorney general under the Kennedy administration.
A Harvard University graduate, Kennedy studied at the London School of Economics and obtained his law degree from the University of Virginia Law School. He earned a master’s degree in environmental law from Pace University School of Law.
