Sen. Susan Collins, a key potential swing vote, announced her support for Health and Human Services secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr., revealing that he managed to ease many of her concerns.
Collins’ (R-Maine) support comes just ahead of a Senate vote to limit debate on Kennedy’s nomination, a step that would take him closer to potentially getting confirmed within the next few days.
“After extensive public and private questioning and a thorough examination of his nomination, I will support Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services,” Collins, 72, announced.
The Maine Republican, who is facing a competitive reelection in 2026, previously expressed concerns about 71-year-old Kennedy’s position on vaccines.
She also voted against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during his confirmation, illustrating how she isn’t afraid to buck party lines. Other Republicans, such as Rep. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), voted against him as well.
But with Kennedy, Collins appeared to warm up to him in response to his answers on about his positions on vaccines and other key issues during their interactions and his hearing before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee.
“He told me he believed in the efficacy of the polio vaccine, and said he would help restore Americans’ confidence in vaccines and our health agencies,” Collins said in a statement.
“I am also encouraged that Mr. Kennedy agreed to regular meetings with the Chairman of the HELP Committee, who is a physician.”
HELP Committee chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who is a physician, had raised several concerns about Kennedy’s track record on health-related issues such as vaccines. Cassidy ultimately decided to back him.
Collins also praised Kennedy for agreeing to support MaineHealth’s efforts to develop a vaccine for Lyme disease, a tick-borne ailment that can cause arthritis, heart problems and neurological problems if left untreated over the long term.
During his testimony before the HELP Committee, Kennedy acknowledged that he may have previously described Lyme disease as a possible “bioweapon.”
“I’m pro-safety; I’m pro-good science,” Kennedy insisted during the HELP Committee hearing. “I believe vaccines have saved millions of lives and play a critical role in health care.”
Having previously stated that biomedical research is her “number one priority,” Collins praised Kennedy’s commitment to bolstering research on chronic and infectious diseases.
Earlier this week, Collins had a call with Kennedy in which she conveyed her concerns about a 15% cap on indirect costs related to grants issued by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The NIH announced that cap last week, which was intended to save $4 billion a year annually while trimming back overhead. Collins highlighted complaints she received from research firms in Maine that the new policy could hinder progress.
“[Kennedy] stated that as soon as he is confirmed, he will lead a re-examination of this initiative,” Collins added in her statement. “I will continue to follow up with him to prevent the needless loss of jobs and to ensure that the vital biomedical research funded by the NIH continues.”
Kennedy is widely seen as one of President Trump’s toughest picks to confirm that still has yet to officially get the Senate’s stamp of approval. Top GOP aides expect him to get confirmed.
He had vied unsuccessfully for president in the 2024 cycle before teaming up with Trump in a partnership between the Make America Great Again and Make America Healthy Again movements.
The Kennedy scion had faced a brutal grilling session last month before the Senate HELP and Finance Committees, in which senators drilled down on his past views about vaccines and trafficking to Sept. 11, 2001 “conspiracy theories.”
