Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Robert Francis Kennedy, Jr., was born in January 1954 in Washington, D.C. The son of Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy, he earned an undergraduate degree from Harvard University, studied abroad at the London School of Economics, and received a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia. He earned a Master of Laws from Pace University.
Kennedy was sworn in as assistant district attorney for Manhattan before joining an environmental nonprofit as senior attorney, and he taught environmental law as an adjunct professor. He worked for and founded environmental law firms, and later founded a nonprofit environmental group. He became a children’s health advocate, questioning the safety of federally approved vaccines.
Kennedy was considered for an appointment to the U.S. Senate for the seat vacated by Hillary Clinton when she became Secretary of State under President Obama. He ran as a candidate for president in 2024 before withdrawing and endorsing President Donald Trump. President Trump nominated Kennedy for Secretary of Health and Human Services in November 2024. He was confirmed by the Senate and assumed office in February 2025.
Kennedy is married to Cheryl Hines; divorced from Emily; and widowed of Mary. He has six children. He is a licensed master falconer. He is Catholic.
In the News…
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., clarified the administration’s concerns regarding acetaminophen and its connections with circumcision after President Trump reiterated his opinion, based on a recently released study, that pregnant women and newborns should not receive the drug.
The health secretary said during the Cabinet meeting, “There’s two studies that show children who are circumcised early have double the rate of autism. It’s highly to likely because they’re given Tylenol. Oh, you know, none of this is positive. But all of it is stuff that we should be paying attention to.”
Secretary Kennedy later stated that a study released in August “directly validates my point that the observed autism correlation in circumcised boys is best explained by acetaminophen exposure, not circumcision itself.”
He clarified, “The paper I was referring to identifies the 2015 Danish circumcision study as ‘the most compelling “standalone” evidence that acetaminophen triggers autism in susceptible babies and children.'”
Contact this Leader…
Did you pray for Secretary Kennedy? You can let him know at:
The Honorable Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Secretary
Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20201
