
Vice President JD Vance is earning praise from Republican lawmakers for his efforts to get President Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominations more support in the Senate.
The vice president has spoken with several Senate Republicans to convince them not to vote down Trump nominations that are in jeopardy.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R‑LA) has expressed hesitancy in voting in favor of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination to run the Department of Health and Human Services. Cassidy has cited his medical background as a doctor and dissatisfaction with Kennedy’s past comments against the safety of certain vaccines. The Louisiana senator, however, said that after speaking with Vance, he was able to change his mind in support of Kennedy.
“I want to thank VP JD specifically for his honest counsel. With the serious commitments I’ve received from the administration and the opportunity to make progress on the issues we agree on like healthy foods and a pro-American agenda, I will vote yes,” Cassidy wrote on social media.
In a speech on the Senate floor, Cassidy additionally said he reached an agreement with the Trump administration to “reassure me regarding their commitment to protecting the public health benefit of vaccination.”
“To this end, Mr. Kennedy and the administration committed that he and I will have an unprecedentedly close collaborative working relationship if he is confirmed. We will meet or speak multiple times a month. This collaboration will allow us to work well together and therefore to be more effective,” Cassidy said.

Vance also spoke with Sen. Todd Young (R‑IN) about his concerns over former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination to be director of national intelligence. Young was the key remaining swing vote ahead of the Senate Intelligence Committee deciding on whether to advance Gabbard to a full Senate vote.
According to Politico, Young “engaged in extensive conversations” with Vance, seeking “written assurances” about Gabbard’s viewpoint on whistleblowers after Gabbard refused to call Edward Snowden, who leaked classified documents from the National Security Agency, a traitor.
Young had found himself under pressure to advance Gabbard from staunch Trump allies, including Elon Musk, who called him a “deep state puppet” in a post on his social platform X before deleting it, saying later he stood “corrected.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Vance had to break a tie in the Senate as its president to get Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, facing sexual assault allegations and questions about his drinking habits, across the finish line after three Republican senators voted against him.
Vice presidents have rarely had to break ties in nominations in recent history. The last Cabinet secretary who required a tiebreaking vote was Trump’s first education secretary, Betsy DeVos.