Kennedy at a Jan. 29 confirmation hearing at Senate Finance. Photo: Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images
The Senate Finance Committee plans to vote Feb. 4 at 10am on whether to advance Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination for HHS secretary.
Why it matters: The Tuesday morning vote is expected to be close, given the controversy over Kennedy's past statements on vaccines and other public health topics.
Between the lines: Sen. Bill Cassidy, who said last week he was "struggling" with the nomination, will be a closely watched vote and could derail the nomination in committee with a no vote.
He urged Kennedy on Thursday to say vaccines do not cause autism, but Kennedy didn't definitively do so.
What's next: If the nomination advances, Cassidy will be closely watched on the floor as well, along with Sens. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Mitch McConnell.
