The Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be the next Secretary of Health and Human Services on Thursday by a 52-48 party-line vote. As in the vote on Tulsi Gabbard, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) voted with the Democrats; see Tulsi Gabbard Confirmed As Director of National Intelligence.

Though often pigeonholed as an anti-vaxxer by his opponents, he has a wide-ranging interest in keeping Americans healthy and safe while refusing to be steamrolled by the "scientific consensus." During his confirmation hearing, RFK Jr. highlighted the toll that preventable chronic diseases, such as Type II diabetes, take on Americans and on our health care and biomedical research programs, and even on national defense. When 77 percent of young Americans are medically disqualified from enlisting in the Armed Forces, there is something dreadfully wrong with how we are living.

From his confirmation hearing, it was clear that RFK Jr. knows his most significant challenge will be bringing Medicare and Medicaid under control and improving the quality of service to consumers. He also understands the nature of the opposition he will face from monied interests who make money off of keeping us on drugs for a lifetime rather than focusing on exercise and nutrition as critical factors in keeping us healthy. Just remember, we don't have a health care system -- we have a sick care system. There is no money to be made off healthy, active people.

Even though RFK Jr. is not in sync with the Trump administration on everything, abortion comes to mind. I have no doubt that he will be a team player and color within the lines because this is the last chance of his lifetime to make a difference, and he is more focused on being a change agent than an ideologue.

The nomination of RFK Jr. to HHS has the possibility of being a brilliant pick that puts the US on track to better health and a much more sane use of health care and medical research dollars, or an utter disaster. But like with Tulsi Gabbard, Trump is the guy who will pay the price if RFK Jr. self-immolates and if he is fine with that risk, he deserves to have his man in place.

Now he does.