WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - President-elect Donald Trump has announced a number of new faces to his upcoming administration, including former independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr as Health secretary.
Trump announced the appointment to the key post on his Truth Social platform.
'The Safety and Health of all Americans is the most important role of any Administration, and HHS will play a big role in helping ensure that everybody will be protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming Health Crisis in this Country,' Trump said in a statement.
'Mr Kennedy will restore these Agencies to the traditions of Gold Standard Scientific Research, and beacons of Transparency, to end the Chronic Disease epidemic, and to Make America Great and Healthy Again!'
Kennedy, who is an advocate for medical freedom and raised concerns over government overreach in public health matters, is a known vaccine skeptic.
He had called for eliminating processed foods from lunch boxes of school students and warned that the food industry is marketing products that lead to a chronic disease crisis.
RFK Jr's nomination needs confirmation by the Senate, where the Republicans gained a narrow majority.
The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services is the top adviser to the president on health, welfare and income security programs, and oversees 11 agencies including the FDA and CDC.
Kennedy dropped out as an independent presidential candidate in August, and endorsed Trump. In the week before the election, Trump promised Kennedy 'a big role in health care.'
In other nominations Trump made Thursday, former Georgia Rep. Doug Collins, who served in Iraq with the US Air Force, has been named the new Secretary of veterans affairs.
He named Doug Burgum, the governor of North Dakota, to lead the Department of the Interior; Dean John Sauer to be solicitor general; and former Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence.
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