Republican U.S. Senator from Maine Susan Collins has stated that she will be voting to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be the next secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), verifying reports from Monday that nominee successfully addressed her earlier concerns and now earned her support.

“After extensive public and private questioning and a thorough examination of his nomination, I will support Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services,” Sen. Collins said in a Tuesday statement to the Maine Wire.

“In response to my questioning at the HELP [Health, Education, Labor and Pensions] Committee hearing, Mr. Kennedy committed to support MaineHealth’s development of a vaccine for Lyme disease, as well as research for both chronic and infectious diseases,” Collins said. “He told me he believed in the efficacy of the polio vaccine, and said he would help restore Americans’ confidence in vaccines and our health agencies.”

Much of the controversy surrounding RFK Jr.’s nomination to be DHHS secretary is related to his skepticism about the safety and efficacy of certain vaccines.

Collins said that Kennedy agreed to have regular meetings and closely consult with the chair of the Senate HELP Committee, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who is a physician.

Maine’s senior senator also said this week she spoke with Kennedy regarding the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to how the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funds medical research grants, and that Kennedy told her he would re-examine the initiative upon his confirmation.

“This week, I contacted Mr. Kennedy about the Administration’s decision to impose an arbitrary cap on the indirect costs that are part of NIH grants and negotiated between the grant recipient and NIH,” Collins said.

“He stated that as soon as he is confirmed, he will lead a re-examination of this initiative. I will continue to follow up with him to prevent the needless loss of jobs and to ensure that the vital biomedical research funded by the NIH continues,” she added.