After taking the recent buyout offer, some employees were fired, a source said.
President Donald Trump's administration, including Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, is continuing its sweeping effort to cut much of the federal government -- but it's being met with legal challenges.
Trump is also making his second administration's first forays on the diplomatic front with calls to Russia's Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy on ending the 3-year-old war that began in February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine.
And a day after Hamas released more hostages taken when it attacked Israel in October 2023, Secretary of State Marco Rubio agreed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the militant organization needs to be "eliminated."
The Senate has confirmed Brooke Rollins to serve as the Secretary of Agriculture by a vote of 72-28.
She was confirmed with the support of all Republicans and 19 Democrats.
-ABC News' Allie Pecorin
Longtime Sen. Mitch McConnell released a statement explaining his decision to vote against RFK Jr.'s nomination. He was the sole Republican to do so.
A polio survivor, McConnell recounted his own childhood experience overcoming the disease and said he will "not condone the re-litigation of proven cures."
"This Administration -- led by the same President who delivered a medical miracle with Project Warp Speed -- deserves a leader who is willing to acknowledge without qualification the efficacy of life-saving vaccines and who can demonstrate an understanding of basic elements of the U.S. health care system," McConnell said.
"Mr. Kennedy failed to prove he is the best possible person to lead America's largest health agency. As he takes office, I sincerely hope Mr. Kennedy will choose not to sow further doubt and division but to restore trust in our public health institutions," he added.
-ABC News' Allison Pecorin
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination to serve as secretary of Health and Human Services was officially confirmed in the Senate on Thursday.
The final vote was 52 to 48. Sen. Mitch McConnell, a polio survivor, was the sole Republican to vote against Kennedy.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Fox News that Kennedy is expected to be sworn into office later Thursday at the White House, and that President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order establishing a "Make America Healthy Again" commission.
Kennedy's confirmation comes after months of controversy and debate, largely focused on his past comments casting doubt on the safety and efficacy of vaccines.
An environmental lawyer with no experience working in public health administration or medicine, Kennedy will now oversee a sprawling network of agencies that provide health coverage to millions of Americans, regulate the food industry and respond to global health threats.
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 12 to 10 to advance Kash Patel's nomination to be FBI director to the Senate floor.
Committee chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, offered a full-throated defense of Patel ahead of the vote. Several Democrats also spoke and reiterated their concerns with his nomination.
Democrats have raised many questions about his nomination, including his comments that he planned to fire agents, his support for Jan. 6 rioters and his invoking of the Fifth Amendment during an investigation that lead to Trump being indicted over his mishandling of classified documents.
