Though President Donald Trump has already seen a number of his key administration nominees successfully confirmed, there are still some significant roles for which Senate votes have yet to occur.

The nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Serices has been an especially controversial one, and according to Democrat Sen. John Fetterman (PA), his confirmation is by no means a foregone conclusion, as Fox News reports.

Fetterman's take

Known for his willingness to engage with figures on both sides of the aisle, Fetterman pledged to approach Trump's nominees with an open mind as the confirmation process took shape.

During an appearance on Fox News Sunday over the weekend, the Democrat lawmaker suggested that he had indeed lived up to his word and asserted that regardless of his eventual vote on Kennedy, it will be the result of an “informed view.”

Fetterman explained, “I've invested a lot of time to really understand his background and to learn more about the man. I approached wth an open mind and I watched the hearing. And that's how the process works.”

Though it was unclear whether Fetterman has made up his mind with regard to the HHS nominee, he seemed to reveal that Kennedy is far from a shoo-in, at least at this point in time.

With deliberations still ongoing, several Republicans still on the fence, and most Democrats likely standing in opposition, Fetterman opined, “It's certainly not a slam dunk for the nomination.”

Key votes hang in balance

Fetterman's assessment is bolstered somewhat by reports that Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) has indicated his lingering resistance to Kennedy's confirmation, as Fox News noted separately.

Cassidy, who chairs the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, before which Kennedy testified last week, said that he was “struggling” with the idea of voting to confirm, largely due to the nominee's past statements on vaccine safety.

The senator's apparent reluctance drew the ire of Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA), who said, “RFK is going to run HHS whether you like it or not.”

Higgins continued, “The Senate is ours, and the moment Trump decides he's had enough of random senators delaying our mission, JD [Vance] is walking in and taking the gavel as president of the Senate,” referencing the vice president's ability to break a tie.

Echoing those sentiments was Republican political organizer Scott Presler and former vice-presidential candidate Nicole Shanahan, who both threatened to facilitate and fund primary challenges to any lawmaker who opposes confirmation.

Support begins to build

Though Fetterman believes RFK's confirmation is not yet a done deal, some prominent and potentially pivotal Republicans appear to have come over to his side in recent days.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who was previously unsure on Kennedy, said on Sunday, “I am now OK to supporting RFK Jr. because I think during the course of the hearing, he's committed to a Republican pro-life agenda, President Trump's pro-life agenda,” and according to commentator Eric Daugherty,
Sen. Thom Tills (R-NC), once viewed as a potential obstacle to confirmation, is also a “yes,” offering real signs of hope to supporters of the Make America Healthy Again movement.