Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the controversial environmental lawyer turned public health critic, cleared his first hurdle on Tuesday to become the nation's top health official when the senate finance committee voted to advance his nomination for a floor vote. Republicans voted together to advance his nomination, while Democrats all opposed. His nomination now will face a full senate vote, despite concerns about the work he's done to sow doubts around vaccine safety and his potential to profit off lawsuits over drugmakers. To gain control of the $1.7 trillion Health and Human Services agency, Kennedy will need support from all but three Republicans if Democrats uniformly oppose him. Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who is also a physician and sits on the finance committee, voted to advance Kennedy's confirmation. Last week, during Kennedy's hearings, Cassidy repeatedly implored Kennedy to reject a disproven theory that vaccines cause autism, to no avail. He ended the hearing by saying he was “struggling” with the vote. Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky are all seen as potential no votes, too, because they voted against President Donald Trump's defense secretary nominee and have expressed concerns about Kennedy's anti-vaccine work. Democrats, meanwhile, continue to raise alarms about Kennedy's potential to financially benefit from changing vaccine guidelines or weakening federal lawsuit protections against vaccine makers if confirmed as health secretary. "He has said that he will instead give his financial interests to his son," Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts said after the committee vote had taken place. "That is a fig leaf that is so small it would take a magnifying glass to see it."