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Public Citizen's Weissman says American lives will be at risk if senators confirm RFK Jr. as HHS Secretary

“An anti-science conspiracist, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shouldn’t be allowed in the building at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), let alone be placed in charge of the nation’s public health agency."

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Donald Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is scheduled Wednesday to appear before the Senate Finance Committee for his first confirmation hearing. 

Public Citizen Co-President Robert Weissman said American lives will be at risk if senators confirm Kennedy as HHS Secretary. “An anti-science conspiracist, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shouldn’t be allowed in the building at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), let alone be placed in charge of the nation’s public health agency. A Secretary Kennedy has telegraphed that he would threaten our core public health institutions. He would equally wreak public health havoc by using his position to spread anti-science views. A 'no' vote on Robert F. Kennedy Jr. should be a slam-dunk decision for every senator," he explains.

On January 24, Public Citizen co-led a letter with Protect Our Care and 85 other groups urging senators to oppose Kennedy’s nomination warning “we will face lies and disinformation at an unprecedented scale that are capable of unwinding a century of progress on fighting disease and promoting public health.”

Here are Public Citizen’s top concerns regarding Kennedy’s nomination:

  • Kennedy’s anti-science views make him untrustworthy to lead the HHS:
    • HHS relies on programs grounded in science and research. Kennedy has a long record of promoting pseudoscience and opposing proven health solutions and schools of thought. 
      • Kennedy has promoted hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug that is ineffective for COVID-19 and the removal of heavy metals from the blood (chelation therapy) as a treatment for autism.
  • Kennedy could threaten Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards for drug approval:
    • Big Pharma's abuses must be reined in. Kennedy’s approach would rely on lowering scientific standards at the FDA instead of strengthening them, and disregarding science in order to tout and perhaps approve unproven medications and treatments.
  • Kennedy has spread misinformation about vaccines:
    • Despite being debunked, Kennedy has made repeated claims that vaccines cause autism and other health issues and his rhetoric has fueled the anti-vaccine movement.
      • In May 2021, Kennedy sought to rescind authorization for COVID-19 vaccinations, six months after vaccines were rolled out.
      •  In 2019, an outbreak of measles in Samoa infected more than 5,000 people, 83 of whom died. Samoa’s health agency cited Kennedy’s visit months earlier – during which he spread antivax rhetoric and exacerbated vaccine hesitancy at a crucial moment – as a contributing factor.

RFK Jr. Pre-hearing News Conference: Public Citizen's Weissman will speak against Kennedy’s nomination at a pre-hearing news conference hosted by Protect Our Care at the Senate Swamp (corner of 1st St. NE & Constitution Ave. NE) from 9 am to 9:30 am ET. 

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