The U.S. Senate has confirmed Kennedy Jr. as the new Secretary of Health.

His candidacy was supported by 52 lawmakers, while 48 voted against it. Mitch McConnell (formerly the leader of the Republicans in the upper chamber of Congress) was the only Republican to voice objections to the confirmation of Kennedy Jr. and joined 47 Democrats in voting against him.

Kennedy, who has previously been known for his criticism of vaccinations, promised to protect existing vaccination programs, as noted by Voice of America.

The 71-year-old Kennedy is a lawyer and an expert on environmental issues. He will now head the agency responsible for Medicare and Medicaid programs, which provide health insurance for over 140 million Americans. The department Kennedy will lead also oversees the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as mentioned in the report.