President-elect Donald Trump says he will nominate anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.
Trump鈥檚 pick of conservative loyalist to serve as attorney general has Democrats sounding the alarm with Sen. Dick Durbin saying Gaetz 鈥渨ould be a disaster鈥 in part because of Trump鈥檚 threat to use the Justice Department 鈥渢o seek revenge on his political enemies.鈥
Republicans have won enough seats to control the U.S. House, completing the party鈥檚 sweep into power and securing their hold on U.S. government alongside President-elect .
Follow the AP鈥檚 Election 2024 coverage at: .
Here鈥檚 the latest:
Thune says Trump nominees' records will face 鈥榩lenty of scrutiny鈥
Incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Thursday that there will be 鈥減lenty of scrutiny鈥 of the records of President-elect Donald Trump鈥檚 nominees once it is time to confirm them, but the Senate needs a chance to do its job.
Leaving the Capitol a day after he was elected as Senate Republicans鈥 next leader, Thune would not comment on Trump鈥檚 announcement that he intends to nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Health and Human Services Department or any other potential nominee. 鈥淚鈥檓 not going to make any judgements about any of these folks at this point,鈥 he said.
鈥淗onestly, the entire nomination process is just getting started,鈥 Thune said. 鈥淪o let鈥檚 give it a chance to see what happens. These names, none of them have been formally submitted yet. So there鈥檚 going to be a vetting process, and I think we will do our job under advice and consent and make sure that the process is fair.鈥
Current Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., also did not comment on Kennedy鈥檚 nomination. There will be 鈥渁 time for that,鈥 he told reporters.
But Washington Sen. Patty Murray, the No. 3 Democrat, said that Kennedy鈥檚 confirmation would be 鈥渘othing short of a disaster for the health of millions of families.鈥
What to know about Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump鈥檚 pick for health secretary
Trump would have Kennedy lead a massive Cabinet agency that oversees everything from drug, vaccine and food safety to medical research and the social safety net programs Medicare and Medicaid. He said before the election he would give Kennedy free rein over health policy.
Here鈥檚 a look at Kennedy and the agency he鈥檒l be tasked with leading:
1. He defies scientific consensus on vaccines and other issues
2. He wants to overhaul HHS staff
3. He is a scion of a famous dynasty
Read
What are RFK Jr.'s positions on health?
Kennedy stuck a deal with Trump to give the now president-elect his endorsement in exchange for a role in health policy in the administration. Here are some of his positions on the subject:
4. He is one of the in the world. Long advancing the , he has said and traveled the world spreading false information about the COVID-19 pandemic.
5. He has recommend removing fluoride from drinking water, although fluoride levels are mandated by state and local governments.
6. He has pushed against processed foods and the use of herbicides like Roundup and has long criticized the large commercial farms and animal feeding operations that dominate the industry.
7. He wants to end the 鈥渞evolving door鈥 of employees who have previous history working for pharmaceutical companies or leave government service to work for that industry.
8. He wanted to fire 600 employees at the 香港六合彩挂牌资料 Institutes of Health, which oversees vaccine research, and replace them with 600 new employees.
Trump expected to choose vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary, AP sources say
President-elect Donald Trump is expected to nominate anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr to serve as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, according to two people familiar with the discussions who spoke on condition of anonymity.
HHS is a massive Cabinet agency that oversees everything from drug, vaccine and food safety to medical research and the social safety net programs Medicare and Medicaid.
Kennedy, a former Democrat who ran as an independent in this year鈥檚 presidential race, abandoned his bid after striking a deal to give Trump his endorsement with a promise to have a role in health policy in the administration.
He and Trump have since become good friends, with Kennedy frequently receiving loud applause at Trump鈥檚 rallies.
鈥 Jill Colvin
Trump says JPMorgan Chase Chief Executive Jamie Dimon won't be joining his administration
Though it鈥檚 not clear if Dimon was interested in a role. The announcement came as Trump has not yet named a Treasury Secretary for his incoming administration or others to fill economic and banking related roles.
Dimon had no plans to join Trump鈥檚 administration, according to news reports in recent weeks.
Trump, in a post on his social media network Truth Social on Thursday, said he respects Dimon 鈥済reatly鈥 but 鈥渉e will not be invited to be a part of the Trump Administration.鈥
鈥淚 thank Jamie for his outstanding service to our Country!鈥 Trump added.
In a July interview with Bloomberg, Trump said Dimon was someone he was considering for Treasury Secretary. A few weeks later, he reversed himself, saying in a post on Truth Social that he didn鈥檛 know 鈥渨ho said it, or where it came from, perhaps the Radical Left, but I never discussed, or thought of, Jamie Dimon鈥 for Treasury Secretary.
Pennsylvania courts get lawsuits over ballot-counting in Senate contest headed toward a recount
Republicans went to court in Pennsylvania on Thursday amid vote counting in the U.S. Senate election between Democratic and Republican , as the campaigns prepare for a recount and press counties for favorable ballot-counting decisions.
The lawsuits ask courts not to allow counties to count mail-in ballots where the voter didn鈥檛 write a date on the return envelope or wrote an incorrect date. The two GOP suits could be among many before the last vote in the Senate race is counted, especially with the contest headed toward a .
The Associated Press the race last week, concluding that not enough ballots remained to be counted in areas Casey was winning for him to take the lead.
Trump hammered Democrats on transgender issues. Now the party is at odds on a response
After losing the White House and both houses of Congress, Democrats are grappling with how to handle transgender politics and policy following a campaign that featured on the issue.
There's plenty of second-guessing after President-elect anchored his victory over Vice President with on the economy and immigration. But Democrats also won't soon forget the punchline in anti-transgender Trump ads that became ubiquitous by Election Day: 鈥淜amala is for they/them; President Trump is for you.鈥
鈥淲eek by week when that ad hit and stuck and we didn鈥檛 respond, I think that was the beginning of the end,鈥 former Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell said of the 30-second spot that was part of $215 million in anti-transgender advertising by Trump and Republicans, according to tracking firm AdImpact.
Rand Paul wants to bring back Trump鈥檚 鈥楻emain in Mexico鈥 policy as a Senate chair
Kentucky U.S. Sen. Rand Paul said Thursday that he'll lead the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where he intends to immediately take up President-elect Donald Trump鈥檚 plan to requiring asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court.
Paul said he'll be the committee鈥檚 new chair after in this month鈥檚 elections. The new role will put Paul 鈥 a limited-government advocate and longtime skeptic of surveillance programs 鈥 in charge of a committee with broad jurisdiction over government operations, including the Department of Homeland Security. Paul has been the committee鈥檚 ranking Republican during Democratic control of the Senate.
Democrat Janelle Bynum wins election to US House in Oregon, beating incumbent Lori Chavez-DeRemer
Democrat Janelle Bynum won election to a U.S. House seat representing Oregon on Thursday, defeating Republican Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer.
The district, which includes the Portland suburbs and stretches through Bend, was a top target for Democrats. Democrats lost this seat in 2022, when Jamie McLeod-Skinner defeated seven-term Democratic Rep. Kurt Schrader in the primary but lost the general election. The district took in parts of more conservative central Oregon after 2022 redistricting.
Bynum represents Happy Valley and North Clackamas in the state Legislature. The Associated Press declared Bynum the winner at 12:47 p.m. EST.
Republican and Democratic senators call for ethics committee information on Gaetz
Republican and Democratic senators alike on the Judiciary Committee that would review Matt Gaetz鈥檚 attorney general nomination are calling for a House Ethics Committee investigation into Gaetz to be made available to them.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 going to be material in the proceedings,鈥 said Sen. Thomas Tillis, a North Carolina Republican.
Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, said, 鈥淚 think there should not be any limitation on the Senate Judiciary Committee鈥檚 investigation, including whatever the House Ethics Committee has generated.鈥
Sen. Dick Durbin, the Democrat who currently chairs the Judiciary Committee, earlier Thursday said in a statement, 鈥淲e cannot allow this valuable information from a bipartisan investigation to be hidden from the American people.鈥
Incoming Senate GOP Leader John Thune says Senate鈥檚 priority will be confirming Trump鈥檚 nominees
Thune did not mention Matt Gaetz, Tulsi Gabbard or other Trump picks that have raised deep concerns among several senators.
But he said senators should expect 鈥渁n aggressive schedule until his nominees are confirmed.鈥
Sen. Dick Durban says ethics committee should preserve information gathered on Matt Gaetz
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., is calling on the House Ethics Committee to preserve information it's gathered on former Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald Trump鈥檚 intended nominee for attorney general, and also share it with the Senate.
Trump announced Gaetz as his pick for the post Wednesday and Gaetz immediately resigned from Congress, ending the investigation against him. The ethics panel said several months ago that its review included whether Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts and sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct. Gaetz has categorically denied all the allegations before the committee.
鈥淭he sequence and timing of Mr. Gaetz鈥檚 resignation from the House raises serious questions about the contents of the House Ethics Committee report,鈥 Durbin said Thursday. 鈥淲e cannot allow this valuable information from a bipartisan investigation to be hidden from the American people.鈥
Bohannan requests a recount in Iowa鈥檚 close congressional race as GOP wins control of House
The Democrat looking to unseat an incumbent Republican in a close Iowa congressional race, one of a handful yet to be called after Republicans of the U.S. House, has asked for a recount.
Democrat Christina Bohannan鈥檚 campaign on Thursday requested the recount in her bid against Republican incumbent to represent Iowa鈥檚 1st District. The initial tally puts Bohannan fewer than 1,000 votes 鈥 less than a percentage point 鈥 behind Miller-Meeks.
The contest is a much tighter rematch of 2022, when Miller-Meeks won by 7 percentage points. Miller-Meeks earned a first term in Congress representing Iowa鈥檚 2nd District when she defeated Democrat Rita Hart by just in 2020.
