▁National ▁Convention ▁and ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁public ▁officials ▁to ▁end or se ▁Kennedy ' s ▁president ial ▁campaign . ▁ ▁When ▁Kennedy ▁became ▁president , ▁Rib ico ff ▁was ▁offered ▁his ▁choice ▁of ▁cabinet ▁posts ▁in ▁the ▁new ▁administration . ▁He ▁reported ly ▁turned ▁down ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁att orney ▁general , ▁fear ing ▁that ▁as ▁a ▁Jew ▁he ▁might ▁create ▁need less ▁controvers y ▁within ▁the ▁emer ging ▁civil ▁rights ▁movement , ▁and ▁instead ▁chose ▁to ▁be ▁secretary ▁of ▁health , ▁education ▁and ▁w elf are ▁( HE W ). ▁Although ▁he ▁did ▁manage ▁to ▁secure ▁a ▁revision ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 5 ▁Social ▁Security ▁Act ▁that ▁liberal ized ▁requirements ▁for ▁aid - to - dependent - children ▁funds ▁from ▁Congress , ▁Rib ico ff ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁gain ▁appro val ▁for ▁the ▁administration ' s ▁Medic are ▁and ▁school ▁aid ▁b ills . ▁Event ually ▁he ▁tired ▁of ▁attempting ▁to ▁manage ▁HE W , ▁whose ▁very ▁size ▁made ▁it , ▁in ▁his ▁opinion , ▁un man age able . ▁ ▁Rib ico ff ▁reflected ▁that ▁he ▁mainly ▁sought ▁out ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁HE W ▁Secretary ▁out ▁of ▁concern ▁for ▁education ▁and ▁" real ized ▁that ▁the ▁problems ▁of ▁health ▁and ▁w elf are ▁were ▁so ▁overrid ing ▁that ▁education ▁was ▁re leg ated ▁to ▁the ▁back ▁burn er " ▁during ▁his ▁ten ure . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁finally ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Senate ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 , ▁replacing ▁ret iring ▁inc umb ent