After ‘Intense’ push, Kennedy’s most important Republican teamout came to yes.

The press campaign paid off and secured a 14-13 approval from the Senate Finance Committee, which set Kennedy apparently on a Glidepath to confirm as secretary of health and human services in the coming days. It is the same path taken so far by all except one of Trump’s nominees – Matt Gaetz, who drew his nomination to the lawyer.

The last minute maneuver revealed an important part of the White House to ensure that success: To resist a Trump-nominated for a very lonely place for a Republican.

Cassidy was not the only Republican who expressed reservations over Kennedy or some of Trump’s other controversial elections, including former Democratic representative Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination to be the director of National Intelligence. But one by one, the senators released statements of support for these nominations, leaving them undeclared more and more isolated.

And Cassidy’s description of weekend conversations with the White House and Kennedy as “very intense” can be an understatement of the pressure campaign detached in any Republican senator on the fence.

Vice President JD Vance, recently a senator himself, talked to teamouts this weekend. The pressure was also practiced by Trump Along Elon Musk, the billionaire who emerged the federal government while blasting doubts with his social media Megaphone and threatening primary campaigns against any senator who did not fall in line for nominees.

“I have received so much outreach from everyone,” Cassidy told journalists about the lobbying business for his voice. “The best thing was, ‘Make your tough decision and we’ll be with you.’ And the worst thing was – I don’t repeat what the worst thing was. “

Also progress on Tuesday was Gabbard, who had convinced her skeptics of the intelligence committee to support her despite the fact that he clearly frustrated several Republicans with her rejection of calling Edward Snowden a traitor of his intelligence agencies during her confirmation hearing last week.

As with Kennedy, Maine Senator Senator Susan Collins and a few other GOP -teamouts slowly announced their support for Gabbard and pay all attention to the Indiana Senator Todd Young. Musk posted, then deleted, a missive on X, who called Young a “Deep State Puppet,” and then praised him and said they had a conversation and “I am being corrected.” By Tuesday morning, Young was also aboard Gabbard.

Most of the Republican Senators who eventually came to YES on Trump’s nominees have quoted promises from the wild secretaries and the administration themselves as making the difference.

A practitioner for 30 years before joining politics, Cassidy seemed to be ready to stop Kennedy’s nomination in the Senate Finance Committee, which would have the stalemate due to universal democratic resistance.

“As for vaccines, Mr. Kennedy was insistent that he just wants good science and to ensure security, ”Cassidy said on the Senate floor on Tuesday, approaching his concerns. “But on this topic, science is good. … Vaccines save lives. They are safe. They do not cause autism. “

But Cassidy said his extensive conversations with the White House and Kennedy in recent days delivered obligations that facilitated his mind. They included Kennedy, who agreed to maintain the current centers of disease management immunization recommendations, to keep statements on the CDC site that points out vaccines, does not cause autism and not to create a parallel vaccine approval security monitoring system.

Kennedy accepted a “unprecedented close, cooperating working conditions,” Cassidy said. The two will speak or meet several times a month and Cassidy gets input into HHS employment that does not need to be confirmed by the Senate.

“I will carefully look at every effort to unlawfully wound public fears of vaccines,” said Cassidy, chairman of the Senate Health Committee. “But my support is built on insurance that this does not have to be a concern.”

Young had a similar refrain on his support for Gabbard and said he had a “positive conversation” with Trump, where the president asked him to “vote your conscience” and not vri his arm.

“I said, ‘How important is this to you, Mr. President?’ And he said, ‘It’s important,’ ‘Young journalists said after the Gabbard vote. “But he said, ‘You know what, Todd, we have to work together on all kinds of other things to do America well again.’ And I told him I need insurance and those that were delivered. “

Young or Cassidy could have the exercise of the nominees in the committee, making it difficult for the nomination to move on to the floor.

A similar process allegedly played with North Carolina Republican Senator Thom Tillis on the nomination of defense secretary Pete Hegeth. According to The Wall Street JournalTillis was to give the fateful vote against Hegeth on the floor, but was told by the GOP leader that he should explain his voice personally to Trump and was eventually persuaded to confirm.

Tillis told the globe that the anecdote in the journal was “inaccurate” and that he ultimately did not see sufficient confirmation of accusations from Hegeth’s former sister -in -law that Hegeth was violent.

“It was zero,” said Tillis about the pressure. “I slept like a baby. I will gladly share my health monitor with you. … The administration was respectful and there was not even a degree rise in the temperatures between me and the president. “

Senator Elizabeth Warren, who also serves in the Finance Committee, said she was skeptical of Cassidy’s decision.

“People can tell themselves what they need … to vote as they have decided to vote, but it doesn’t,” said Massachusetts -Democrat. “The pressure on Republicans is right in front of us. Elon Musk has said quite publicly that he will fund primary challenges to anyone who does not vote, as Elon Musk thinks they should vote. “

Tillis and Cassidy are both for re -election in 2026.

Cassidy denied that politics played into his calculation.

“I promise you that being up to re -election had absolutely zero to make with the decision,” he told journalists.

Tillis said in his comments after the vote that he voted for Kennedy in the Finance Committee because it is time for “a disruptive” as a health secretary. Tillis also said he was concerned about Kennedy’s antivaccine views, his criticism of large agricultural companies, Hans called the National Rifle Association a “terrorist group” and his previous support for abortion rights.

But Tillis said there was no organized resistance to Kennedy’s nomination from large exterior interest groups in these areas.

“I think silence is consent,” he said.

Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz, a strong Trump -allized, said some of the nominees are change agents that he understands may be disturbing to colleagues. He acknowledged that it is one thing to vote against a nominee when there are still enough votes to confirm. It is another to be the one that sinks the nomination.

“Look, there is no doubt that political pressure is real,” Cruz said. “One of the benefits of having a majority of 53 votes is that we can lose up to three senators and still victory. I am very glad that we not only have a 51-voting majority. “

Kendall Wright from the Globe staff contributed to this report.

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Tal Kopan can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her @Talkopan. Jim Puzzanghera can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @Jimpuzzanghera.