President Trump’s choice of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be the nation’s next health secretary will face a critical test in the Senate on Tuesday, when members of the Finance Committee — including a Republican doctor uneasy about Mr. Kennedy’s views on vaccines — will vote on whether to reject the nomination or forward it to the Senate floor.
Mr. Kennedy’s fate may hinge on that doctor, Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. He has said publicly that he is wrestling with how to vote, and on Monday he posted on social media what many took as a hint: a quote from the Bible on the topic of courage.
“Joshua said to them: ‘Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the LORD will do to all the enemies you are going to fight,’” Mr. Cassidy, who is also the chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, wrote on X.
The Finance Committee has 14 Republicans and 13 Democrats. If every Democrat votes against Mr. Kennedy, a no vote by Mr. Cassidy would deprive Mr. Kennedy of a favorable recommendation to the full Senate. But it would not necessarily doom his nomination; it is possible that Republicans could use procedural tactics to force the full Senate to vote. It is also possible that Mr. Cassidy votes to move the nomination forward on the grounds that the full Senate should consider it, while reserving the right to vote against Mr. Kennedy on the floor.
For Mr. Cassidy, voting against Mr. Kennedy would be a politically perilous step. He is up for re-election in 2026 and is already facing a primary challenge from the right.
Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, the top Democrat on the panel, said Democrats were examining their procedural options and “trying to catalog all the different approaches” they might take, depending on how the vote goes.
