Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. says the Senate has 'no longer any leverage' over his agenda, after Democrats won control of the chamber in the 3 November midterm elections.

Speaking at a Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Action event in Washington on Monday, he said Republican senators had previously threatened to block his appointees.

Kennedy did not identify the senators or nominees involved. Republicans held 53 of the Senate's 100 seats before the election, while Democrats are due to take control in January. The shift, he suggested, has weakened a check that had constrained his plans.

'Every time I tried to do something robust, I would get calls saying, "If you do that, we're not going to confirm your appointees,"' he said. Kennedy recalled telling senior staff the day after the election that Democrats were unlikely to support the administration's health nominees.

'The Senate no longer has any leverage over me, and that's a big deal,' he said. He did not set out which policies he would now pursue, leaving the practical meaning of his claim unclear.

RFK Jr. Points to New White House Chief of Staff

Kennedy described Stephen Miller, who took over from Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff this week, as 'a friend of our movement.' He added, 'I don't think anything is going to get in our way now.'

He said some initiatives remained unfinished, adding, 'There were things that we didn't get done, and that was very frustrating to me.' Asked about a social media post in which he said it was time to 'unleash the Kraken' after Miller's appointment, Kennedy replied, 'That's what we're about to do.' He declined to name the measures he had in mind.

Kennedy also praised Wiles, who left the role on Friday 6 November and is moving to President Donald Trump's political operation. 'We got those things done because we had support in the White House,' he said, crediting her with backing his department's work.

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Democrats Prepare To Examine HHS

Congressional Democrats are expected to investigate the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and some have called for Kennedy to resign or be fired. Senator Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland has publicly called for his removal.

Democrats also won control of the House, according to Associated Press projections. Robert Garcia of California, the Democrat expected to chair the House Oversight Committee in January, has promised an investigation into claims that White House aides put corporate interests ahead of public health.

The prospect of congressional scrutiny gives Kennedy's comments a wider context. He has argued that Senate opposition to nominees will no longer restrain him, but investigations into departmental decisions would present a separate challenge. The article does not identify which HHS actions lawmakers intend to examine.

Allegations and Denials Inside the White House

The claims about White House influence were made by Calley Means, a Kennedy ally who resigned as a senior adviser at HHS in October. In interviews, including on The Joe Rogan Experience, he alleged that Wiles and other aides prioritised industry lobbyists and midterm fundraising over MAHA policies. He said Wiles told him, 'We need money for the midterms.'

Wiles's spokesperson called the accusations 'outrageous, defamatory, and provably false', according to Axios. James Blair, a Trump political adviser, has also denied them. White House spokeswoman Allison Schuster said the administration 'has never allowed and will never allow outside groups to influence policy decisions.'

The White House has also said the MAHA coalition has found 'a champion in President Trump'. Some of Means's claims have not been independently verified. Kennedy has yet to specify the policies he intends to pursue next.

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