RFK Jr. has started down the path to his nomination: congressional debut and meetings with key senators

Robert Kennedy Jr. has started down the path to his nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Donald Trump nominee made his debut on Capitol Hill with different meetings with key senators and is expected to continue this agenda in the coming weeks. To be confirmed as health secretary, he needs a simple majority in the Senate of 51 senators or 50, plus the tie-breaking vote of JD Vance as vice president.

Kennedy, now 70, has advocated controversial positions on the effects of some vaccines, making it likely to become one of the central issues in his nomination.

Trump took it upon himself to soften the tone on the matter. The president-elect gave a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, where he described himself as a "firm believer" in the polio vaccine. "You’re not going to lose the polio vaccine. It’s not going to happen," he added.

In regards to RFK Jr, he said he will be "much less radical than you would think." "I think he’s got a very open mind or I wouldn’t have put him there. He’s going to be very much less radical," Trump continued.

RFK Jr.'s Senate agenda

In pursuit of paving the way for his nomination, Kennedy and his team arranged a series of meetings with high-profile senators. Notable among them were Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), John Thune (R-SD), John Barrasso (R-WY), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Rick Scott (R-FL), Rand Paul (R-KY) and a ranking member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

"Mr. Kennedy is immensely prepared to meet with over 2 dozen Senators this week. He is energized, he is excited to talk about President Trump’s vision to make America healthy again," a source familiar with Kennedy's plans told NBC News.

Scott himself spoke to reporters after his meeting with Kennedy and was enthusiastic about his nomination. "Finally, we're going to have an HHS Secretary that wakes up every day and says, 'How do we keep everybody healthy in this country?'", he said.

It is not yet known whether RFK Jr. will meet with Mitch McConnell (R-KY), the outgoing Republican leader and potentially a key vote for Kennedy's nomination. A polio survivor, the Kentucky senator issued a statement on the matter but without naming Trump's nominee.

"Efforts to undermine public confidence in proven cures are not just uninformed — they’re dangerous. Anyone seeking the Senate’s consent to serve in the incoming Administration would do well to steer clear of even the appearance of association with such efforts," the statement read.

The missive was issued after it transpired that one of Kennedy's aides filed a petition to revoke approval of the polio vaccine in 2022.