RFK Jr. survives Senate confirmation battle for HHS chief spot

• The vote was 52-48, with just one Republican — former GOP leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) joining all of the chamber's Democrats in opposition.
• While some Senate Republicans initially expressed concerns about Kennedy's fitness for the role, all but McConnell ultimately supported him.

Catch up quick: During his confirmation hearings, Kennedy flubbed basics on Medicare and Medicaid, backtracked on past vaccine and abortion stances, and was vague about how closely he'd hew to President Trump's policies.

• All of the Finance panel's 14 Republicans ultimately supported advancing his nomination, including Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a medical doctor whose vote on Kennedy was closely watched.
• Cassidy cited the "serious commitments" he'd received from the administration and the opportunity to make progress on issues like "healthy foods and a pro-American agenda" as the rationale for his vote.

Zoom in: During his confirmation hearings, Kennedy didn't deny several of his outlandish past statements, although he frequently tried to add context or explanation.

• While he testified that he is neither "anti-vax or anti-industry," he declined to say that vaccines don't cause autism.
• He also made no attempt to convince lawmakers that he had a personal change of heart on his past support for abortion rights, saying repeatedly that he'd implement Trump's plans and that "every abortion is a tragedy."
• Kennedy's financial entanglements, including his financial stake in litigation targeting the makers of a cervical cancer vaccine, also have raised questions about how he'll resolve potential conflicts of interest as HHS chief.