Trump nominates Robert F. Kennedy Jr. head of the Department of Health and Human Services

2024-11-15 08:21:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Trump nominates Robert F. Kennedy Jr. head of the Department of Health and Human

President-elect Donald Trump says he will nominate Mr. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. heads the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), an agency that has a wide reach, from drug, vaccine and food safety oversight to medical research and health care programs.

"For too long, Americans have been harmed by the food and pharmaceutical industries, which have engaged in manipulation, misinformation and disinformation when it comes to public health," Trump said in a post on the TruthSocial network announcing the nomination. of Mr. Kennedy. He said that: "Kennedy will make America great and healthy again!"

Mr. Kennedy, a former Democrat who ran as an independent in this year's presidential race, ended his campaign by expressing support for Republican Donald Trump with a promise to have a role in the health policy of the next Republican administration.

Since then, he and Mr. Trump have deepened ties, with Mr. Kennedy greeted with thunderous applause at Republican Trump's rallies.

A longtime vaccine skeptic, Mr. Kennedy is a lawyer who for decades has built a broad base of supporters who admire his environmental work, bringing lawsuits against big pharmaceutical companies and the manufacturers of chemical fertilizers used in agriculture. He has called for stricter rules regarding ingredients in food items.

As he joined Republican Donald Trump's campaign, Mr. Kennedy tried to win the support of new mothers with a message of healthier foods in the United States. He promised to follow the example of European food regulations. He came up with the slogan "Make America Healthy Again".

During his first term, President Trump eliminated many regulations on large industries, including the food industry, which may conflict with Mr. Kennedy's intentions to tighten up when it comes to food ingredients. During his time in the White House, Mr. Trump called for fewer inspections in the meat industry.

Mr. Kennedy's stance on vaccines has made him a controversial figure among Democrats and some Republicans, raising questions about his ability to win confirmation in the Republican-controlled Senate.

Mr. Kennedy has said he will recommend removing fluoride from drinking water. The addition of fluoride, according to experts, serves to protect the teeth.

The Department of Health and Human Services, HHS for short, has more than 80,000 employees nationwide. This agency oversees the Food and Drug Administration, the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the CDC, the National Institutes of Health, the NIH, and several health care programs./ Voa