Top U.S. health official abruptly resigns amid RFK Jr.s' Senate confirmation

One of the United States' top health officials just resigned. 

Fox News reports that Dr. Lawrence A. Tabak did so abruptly, amid Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.s', confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

The 73-year-old Tabak was the number two official at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where he has worked for the past 25 years.

The question, of course, is why resign now? Could he be trying hide something?

Background

Tabak does have ties to Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Fox reports:

Tabak, 73, has been at the NIH for 25 years, first serving as director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research before eventually becoming the NIH's principal deputy director in 2010, which is the second-in-command at the agency. Tabak also served during transitional periods as acting director, including during the COVID era when he was regularly grilled by Republicans, alongside Dr. Anthony Fauci, over the NIH's response.

But, there is more to the story.

Fox goes on to report:

Tabak was part of a group of agency leaders, including Fauci and former NIH Director Francis Collins, who congressional investigators accused of trying to manipulate the narrative around the origins of the COVID-19 virus. Through GOP investigations, it was determined Tabak was part of a controversial phone call with Fauci, Collins, and several prominent scientists that critics have argued was a catalyst for the publication of a scientific paper that was released positing that it was not plausible the virus originated in a lab.

There is little doubt that Tabak knew that his days were numbered, under the Trump administration, and he therefore decided to get out of dodge.

Kennedy is in

Kennedy was indeed confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Thursday afternoon, Breitbart News reports.

The final vote was 52 to 48. You may be aware of the fact that the Republicans hold a 53 to 47 majority in the upper chamber. So, you may be one who the lone "no" vote was.

Once again, it was former Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). McConnell has now been the sole Republican senator to vote against two of President Donald Trump's top picks: Kennedy and Tulsi Gabbard, the new Director of National Intelligence (DNI).

It has come to the surprise of many that McConnell is the sole defector, given that U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Suzanne Collines (R-ME) remain in the Senate and they tend to vote against Trump. But, at least for the time being, they actually have been joining with the Republican majority, and McConnell has been the odd man out.

Now, though, this is irrelevant. Kennedy is in, and the big question now is what moves he will make to reform U.S. health care. Time will tell.