US President Donald Trump's embattled health secretary pick, vaccine conspiracy theorist Robert F Kennedy Jr, has passed a crucial test in his confirmation bid as senators voted to advance his nomination to the floor.
With Republicans having a one-seat advantage on the Senate Finance Committee, Mr Kennedy's future hinged on Bill Cassidy, a physician who has clashed publicly with the former Democrat over past unfounded claims linking vaccines to autism.
But Mr Cassidy backed Mr Kennedy after the 71-year-old environmental lawyer was given a strong vote of confidence from Mr Trump, who urged support for the man whom just nine months ago he was calling "one of the most Liberal Lunatics ever to run for office".
"20 years ago, Autism in children was 1 in 10,000. NOW IT'S 1 in 34. WOW! Something's really wrong. We need BOBBY!!!" Mr Trump posted on his website, Truth Social, ahead of the vote.
Mr Cassidy is a rare occasional rebel in the Republican ranks but he faces reelection next year in Louisiana and risked picking up a challenger from the Republican Party's Trumpist far right if he had upset the president.
Mr Kennedy's various controversies are too numerous to itemise but the headline concerns for conservatives are his past support for abortion, his record taking on big business as an environmental lawyer and his 2023 run for president as a Democrat.
Beyond vaccines, Democrats point mainly to sexual misconduct allegations, Mr Kennedy's suggestion that Covid-19 was designed to spare Jews, his linking of school shootings to antidepressants and his alleged mistreatment of animal corpses.
The New York Post, a reliably Trumpist newspaper, wrote a scathing editorial, arguing that there was "too much wackiness" in Mr Kennedy's background to trust him with America's health.
Gabbard confirmation moves step closer
Elizabeth Warren, the vice chair of the Senate Democrats, called Mr Kennedy an "anti-science conspiracy peddler who is willing to gamble with American lives," urging senators to reject the nomination.
The Senate can confirm nominees without a committee's endorsement - it happened in the last Trump presidency with Mick Mulvaney - but Republican Majority Leader John Thune has cast doubt on how likely this is to happen.
Tulsi Gabbard's confirmation as director of national intelligence, one of President Donald Trump's most contentious nominations, also moved closer to reality when a Senate committee backed her despite doubts about her lack of experience and past statements seen as supporting US adversaries.
Senator Tom Cotton, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told reporters the panel had voted to report Ms Gabbard's nomination favorably to the full Senate.
Ms Gabbard has been accused of being a conspiracy theorist and has a long record of publicly opposing US national security policy, including siding with its adversaries.
Success for Mr Kennedy and Ms Gabbard - two of the least experienced nominees in modern history - would once again demonstrate Mr Trump's iron grip on his party, days after controversial Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's confirmation.
The Senate yesterday confirmed Chris Wright, the CEO of fracking company Liberty Energy, to lead the Energy Department, with support from seven Democrats.
Former US congressman Doug Collins of Georgia will be confirmed as secretary of veterans affairs today.
Pam Bondi, a replacement for disgraced nominee Matt Gaetz, is expected to be confirmed as attorney general, in the early hours of tomorrow morning at the latest.
