Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was sworn in today as Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Oval Office, with Justice Neil Gorsuch administering the oath. Kennedy now leads the nation’s largest health department, overseeing a $2 trillion budget that touches nearly every aspect of American healthcare.
As Secretary, Kennedy will administer and oversee all HHS programs and operating divisions, including:
- The National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
- The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
- The Administration for Children and Families (ACF)
- The Administration for Community Living (ACL)
- The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
- The Indian Health Service (IHS)
- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
- The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
- The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
Through these divisions, the department runs key programs including:
- Healthcare delivery and insurance programs
- Public health emergency response
- Medical research funding
- Drug and medical device approvals
- Food safety
- Child welfare services
- Mental health programs
- Disease prevention
Right after the ceremony, President Trump signed an order establishing the “Make America Healthy Again Commission.” The Commission has a broad mandate to investigate and address the root causes of America’s escalating health crisis, with a particular focus on childhood chronic diseases. This new body marks the first time a federal commission will specifically examine environmental and other underlying factors that may contribute to rising rates of chronic illness in American children.
The Commission’s establishment represents a significant shift in how the federal government approaches chronic disease prevention and treatment. Under the executive order, the Commission will coordinate efforts across all HHS agencies to investigate root causes of chronic illness. It will have the authority to examine various environmental, nutritional, and other factors potentially contributing to the rise in childhood chronic conditions, while working to develop comprehensive strategies for prevention and intervention.
The executive order emphasizes the Commission’s role in ensuring parents have access to accurate information about children’s health risks and preventive measures. It will also focus on developing new approaches to chronic disease research, prevention strategies, and treatment options.
“I’ve prayed every morning for twenty years to be put in a position to solve the childhood chronic disease epidemic,” Kennedy said at the ceremony. “Now, thanks to you Mr. President, we can make this promise real.” He added that the President “heard the calls of millions of mothers who just want the tools – and the truth – to make informed decisions for their children.”
Kennedy brings an unusual background to the job. He founded Waterkeeper Alliance, now the world’s largest clean water advocacy group, with over 300 local chapters and protecting 5.9 million square miles of waterways through a million volunteers across 46 countries. As a lawyer, he’s won hundreds of environmental cases and made many cities clean up their water supplies.
He also founded Children’s Health Defense, where he worked on childhood chronic disease issues as chairman and chief counsel. His work includes two New York Times bestsellers, “Crimes Against Nature” (2005) and “The Real Anthony Fauci” (2021), along with his acclaimed autobiography “American Values: Lessons I Learned from My Family” (2018).
Kennedy’s education includes degrees from Harvard University, studies at the London School of Economics, a law degree from the University of Virginia Law School, and a master’s in environmental law from Pace University.
Kennedy comes from a family known for public service – he’s the nephew of President John F. Kennedy and son of Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. TIME Magazine named him “Hero of the Planet” for his environmental work, and he’s also received the Sartisky Peace Award.
He’s married to actress Cheryl Hines, and they have seven children between them. His appointment marks a shift for HHS, bringing expertise in environmental health and chronic disease prevention to the department’s top spot as more Americans pay attention to these issues.
For practitioners of integrative and naturopathic medicine, this appointment could signal increased attention to environmental influences on health outcomes, though any major policy changes would need to follow established federal regulatory processes.