Trump is expected to pick RFK Jr. to lead HHS, reports Politico via Reuters
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President-elect Donald Trump is expected to nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Politico reported Thursday, citing a person with direct knowledge of the matter.
Kennedy ran for this year’s election as an independent before dropping out in August and endorsing Trump to take part in the Republican administration.
“He’s going to help make America healthy again,” Trump said in his victory speech on Nov. 6. “He wants to do some things, and we’re going to let him get to them,” he said.
The Department of Health and Human Services oversees the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and the large Medicare and Medicaid Services programs, which provide health care to the poor, those 65 and older, and the disabled.
Tens of millions of Medicaid and Medicare enrollees mean that HHS has a budget of $3.09 trillion for fiscal year 2024, which represents 22.8% of the US federal budget.
