Tag: robert f. kennedy jr.
Bobby Lied: Violating Senate Commitments, RFK Jr. Seeks To Thwart Vaccines

Bobby Lied: Violating Senate Commitments, RFK Jr. Seeks To Thwart Vaccines

One week after being sworn into office, President Donald Trump’s Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is reportedly preparing to make significant changes to the vaccine approval process—actions that critics say violate the “commitment” he made to several Republican senators. These assurances, senators claim, were key conditions for their votes to confirm the Kennedy, an attorney known for his “role in legitimizing anti-vaccine activism.”

Secretary Kennedy “is preparing to remove members of the outside committees that advise the federal government on vaccine approvals and other key public health decisions, according to two people familiar with the planning,” Politico reported Thursday. “Kennedy plans to replace members who he perceives to have conflicts of interest, as part of a widespread effort to minimize what he’s criticized as undue industry influence over the nation’s health agencies.”

The apparent most likely target is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which “plays a key role in setting vaccine policy. Kennedy and his top aides are also scrutinizing a host of other outside panels, including those that advise the Food and Drug Administration,” according to Politico.

In anticipation of this possibility, before leaving office, President Joe Biden and his HHS Secretary, Xavier Becerra, “approved the appointments of eight new candidates” to ACIP, STAT News reported in January. The medical news outlet called it “a burst of activity within a matter of a few months that could, in theory, make it more difficult for the Trump administration to shape the panel with its own appointees.”

But experts believe that “any attempt to protect the status quo at the ACIP will prove to have been futile. People who sit on this committee have at-will appointments,” they noted.

Multiple news outlets on Thursday reported that ACIP’s first scheduled meeting of the year, slated for next week, has now been postposed, a development raising concerns.

Dr. Angela Rasmussen, a noted virologist, responded on social media to the rescheduling, remarking: “This is how RFK Jr will administratively destroy vaccination programs.”

U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy is a Louisiana Republican and a medical doctor who “co-founded the Greater Baton Rouge Community Clinic, a clinic providing free dental and health care to the working uninsured,” his Senate bio reads. “Bill also created a private-public partnership to vaccinate 36,000 greater Baton Rouge area children against Hepatitis B at no cost to the schools or parents. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Bill led a group of health care volunteers to convert an abandoned K-Mart building into an emergency health care facility, providing basic health care to hurricane evacuees.”

Politico reports that the assurances RFK Jr. “provided helped clinch his confirmation, after Senate HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said he received commitments that changes would not be made to the CDC’s vaccine committee.”

On February 4, standing on the floor of the Senate, Dr. Cassidy delivered a speech detailing those commitments.

“After seeing patients die from vaccine preventable diseases, I dedicated much of my time to vaccine research and immunization programs. Personally witnessing the safety monitoring, and the effectiveness of immunization. But simply, vaccines save lives,” Cassidy said (archived).

“This is the context that informed me when considering Robert F. Kennedy Jr as the nominee to be Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services,” Cassidy continued, explaining why he was choosing to vote to confirm RFK Jr. “Regarding vaccines, Mr. Kennedy has been insistent that he just wants good science and to ensure safety. But on this topic, the science is good, the science is credible. Vaccines save lives. They are safe. They do not cause autism. There are multiple studies that show this. They are a crucial part of our nation’s public health response.”

Crucially, Senator Cassidy said that Kennedy “committed that he would work within the current vaccine approval and safety monitoring systems, and not establish parallel systems. If confirmed, he will maintain the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices [ACIP] without changes.”

Cassidy was not the only Republican who voted to confirm Kennedy based on commitments he personally made to them.

Defending her vote to confirm Kennedy, widely recognized as one of the least qualified among all of President Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) issued a lengthy statement repeatedly explaining that RFK Jr. had made “commitments” to her, personally, that were sufficiently satisfying to earn her vote — despite his lengthy reported history of anti-vaccine activism, his statement that, in his opinion, “There’s no vaccine that is, you know, safe and effective,” and what has been recorded as his documented history of promoting conspiracy theories.

“I continue to have concerns about Mr. Kennedy’s views on vaccines and his selective interpretation of scientific studies, which initially caused my misgivings about his nomination,” declared Senator Murkowski. “Vaccines have saved millions of lives, and I sought assurance that, as HHS Secretary, he would do nothing to make it difficult for people to take vaccines or discourage vaccination efforts. He has made numerous commitments to me and my colleagues, promising to work with Congress to ensure public access to information and to base vaccine recommendations on data-driven, evidence-based, and medically sound research. These commitments are important to me and, on balance, provide assurance for my vote.”

One week ago CNN’s Manu Raju reported, “Asked Lisa Murkowski if she trusts RFK Jr on vaccines, and she said: ‘We are going to hold him accountable and that’s how we will get the trust.'”

Thursday afternoon, the nonprofit Protect Our Care, issued a statement strongly criticizing Senator Cassidy.

“Just one week in, RFK Jr. has already begun enacting some of the most radical parts of his conspiracy theory-filled agenda, breaking promises he made to on-the-fence Senators during his confirmation process. Coverage confirms that RFK Jr. will be removing members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee after canceling a critical meeting on vaccine approvals,” the group charged.

“RFK Jr. played Bill Cassidy like a fiddle,” the group’s president, Brad Woodhouse, added. “It hasn’t even been a week and he is already breaking his promises. After saying anything to on-the-fence senators to get confirmed, RFK Jr. is now showing his true colors as the anti-science, anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist he always has been. The consequences of RFK Jr.’s broken promises, which were always bull—, will be more sick and dead Americans, including children, and Senator Cassidy and his colleagues who bought what Kennedy was selling will bear responsibility.”

Earlier this week, the Associated Press reported on another commitment RFK Jr. made to Senator Cassidy, one he appears to be preparing to rescind.

“To earn the vote he needed to become the nation’s top health official, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made a special promise to a U.S. senator: He would not change the nation’s current vaccination schedule,” the AP reported. “But on Tuesday, speaking for the first time to thousands of U.S. Health and Human Services agency employees, he vowed to investigate the childhood vaccine schedule that prevents measles, polio and other dangerous diseases.”

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

RFK Jr. And Trump Risk Health Of 9/11 Heroes With Callous Staffing Cutbacks

RFK Jr. And Trump Risk Health Of 9/11 Heroes With Callous Staffing Cutbacks

New York Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand wrote a letter to newly appointed Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday, condemning the recent “nonsensical and dangerous” 20% staffing cuts to the World Trade Center Health Program. The cuts jeopardize the ability to deliver health care to those suffering from 9/11-related health conditions, including respiratory ailments and cancers.

The letter urges Kennedy to reverse the staffing cuts and requests a briefing from the HHS and the CDC on the changes made to the WTCHP and their direct impact on the program's capacity to serve enrollees. The letter also called out Kennedy’s hypocrisy, citing a former conversation he had with the senators before his confirmation where he vowed to protect 9/11 access to care.

One of the first responders, John Feal, whose organization FealGood Foundation helps 9/11 responders access financial aid programs and treatment for 9/11-induced illnesses, appeared on New York’s News 12 on Sunday to speak out against the mass firing. Feal called the cuts “inhumane.”

"The World Trade Center Health Program is a lifeline to 137,000 people—9/11 heroes, volunteers, and those who lived, and worked and went to school in Lower Manhattan," Feal said. "And these people now who are dealing with severe respiratory illnesses, severe cancers—there's over 30,000 people with a certified cancer. That means when those people are cut and no longer work for the federal government, they cut 20% of that staff. That staff is responsible for certifying people's illnesses, that staff is responsible to ensure that there’s no fraud, that staff is responsible to ensure that research continues."

Feal added that he and a group of first responders and political leaders will head to Washington, D.C., next week to lobby for the $3 billion needed to fund the WTCHP through 2090.

Schumer took to X on Tuesday to tell his constituents he’s fighting on their behalf.

“The Trump HHS is breaking the sacred promise to always stand by our 9/11 heroes by slashing funding and vital staffing for their healthcare in the World Trade Center Health Program,” he said. “It’s unacceptable. I’m fighting to get Secretary Kennedy to reverse these cuts and firings NOW to provide for those who answered the call of duty on 9/11.”

This comes as Kennedy, under the direction of the White House and Elon Musk’s chaotic Department of Government Efficiency, fired an estimated 3,600 public health employees across the National Institutes of Health, CDC and Food and Drug Administration over the weekend, prompting employees to call it the “Valentine’s Day massacre.”

DOGE has taken it upon itself to gut the federal government. In less than a month, it has conducted mass firings or buyouts of government agency employees at the United States Agency of International Development, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Department of Education, the FBI, and the CIA.

Whether it’s hypocrisy or pathetic fealty to Trump, courageous Americans who risked their lives to save others on 9/11 deserve the care they now need—not to be cast aside by a president and his billionaire ally intent on dismantling human decency.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

RFK Jr.

Right-Wing Media Split Over Nomination Of Conspiracy Kook RFK Jr.

As Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faces a Senate vote to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, right-wing media are split on whether to support his nomination.

Some claim the nominee — who has a long history of undermining scientific research and promoting health misinformation — is a “bipartisan” solution for “Making America Healthy Again,” while others have highlighted his past extremism, Democratic affiliations, and pro-abortion beliefs. Some right-wing media have also covered for Kennedy’s extremism in the past, largely ignoring his vaccination views.

Kennedy has history of embracing extremism, with favorable right-wing coverage

  • Right-wing media promoted Kennedy in an effort to harm Democrats during the 2024 primary. Right-wing media offered Kennedy glowing treatment when he was running against former President Joe Biden in the Democratic primary, emphasizing his anti-establishment credentials. [Media Matters, 8/22/24]
  • After Kennedy dropped out of the race and subsequently endorsed now-President Donald Trump, Fox News whitewashed his extremism and promoted him to lead HHS. The network barely covered his stance on the COVID-19 vaccine and praised him for trying to “make our children healthy again.” [Media Matters, 8/27/24, 8/29/24]
  • Kennedy has repeatedly sowed doubt about vaccine efficacy and promoted fringe health conspiracy theories with little to no scientific backing. Kennedy has falsely linked vaccines to autism, baselessly fearmongered about their other supposed dangers, and claimed COVID-19 was “ethnically targeted” to spare Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people. [The Washington Post, 1/28/25; Media Matters, 7/17/23]
  • Kennedy has engaged with extremists with ties to QAnon and is close friends with a fringe commentator who has fearmongered about the “Jew World Order.” [Twitter/X, 4/5/23; Media Matters, 7/9/20, 11/2/24]

Some Murdoch-owned outlets, have voiced opposition to Kennedy

  • The Wall Street Journal’s Editorial Board published an op-ed titled “Why RFK Jr. Is Dangerous to Public Health.” The Journal noted that Kennedy has “tried to soften” his anti-vax stance since his nomination but warned: “Senators would be wise to believe RFK Jr.’s career of spreading falsehoods rather than his confirmation conversions.” [The Wall Street Journal, 1/26/25]
  • The editorial board of another Murdoch-owned outlet, The New York Post, also urged senators to vote no on Kennedy, calling him “hazardous to our health.” The board wrote that despite promises from the Trump administration to keep Kennedy in a “policy straitjacket … the only straitjacket suitable for RFK Jr. is a real one.” [New York Post, 1/27/25]
  • The National Review published an op-ed calling Kennedy a “left-wing menace.” The piece cited Kennedy’s previous support for abortion and claimed he is a “menace to the health of Americans.” The op-ed recently was recirculated by the Washington Examiner’s Kimberly Ross. [The National Review, 12/18/24; Twitter/X, 1/25/25]
  • Federalist writer Anna James Zeigler called Kennedy a “loon,” writing, “I hope RFK is not confirmed.” Ziegler continued, “I’m iffy on some of the nominations, but not this one.” [Twitter/X, 1/26/25]
  • Talk radio host Erick Erickson suggested Kennedy should not be confirmed over his pro-choice comments. Erickson posted a video of Kennedy saying he will leave abortion decisions to “the woman” alongside a quote from Vice President JD Vance that “if you’re not willing to stand up to the left on abortion, you can’t be trusted on anything else. The pro-life position is the pro-people position and I’m proud to be 100% pro-life.” [Twitter/X, 1/27/25]

Others in right-wing media, including some Fox figures, support Kennedy

  • Fox News senior medical analyst Marc Siegel claimed that Kennedy wants “to support our farmers and go back to organic food, farm to fork without the chemicals.” Fox & Friends co-host Ainsley Earhardt then downplayed Kennedy’s vaccine views, saying he wants “transparency for vaccines.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 1/27/25]
  • Siegel appeared later in the day on The Faulkner Focus, where he said that he’s “all in on” Kennedy's “Make America Healthy Again” platform. Siegel also said Kennedy’s agenda should have “bipartisan support” and predicted several Democratic senators would vote for him. [Fox News, The Faulkner Focus, 1/27/25]
  • Fox’s Laura Ingraham dismissed concerns that Kennedy would ignore public health experts, saying, “The left is upset because, most of all, Trump is doing what he promised to do — fix large parts of our government, frankly all of it.” Siegel, her guest, once again praised Kennedy for trying to reverse obesity. [Fox News, The Ingraham Angle, 1/27/25]
  • Financial analyst Heather Zumarraga claimed on Fox News that Kennedy is going to “help … fight against mental health crisis in this country.” [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 1/27/25]
  • A Daily Caller piece claimed Kennedy’s “approach challenges us to move away from dependency on drugs and toward empowering individuals with strong, natural immunity” and that he “advocates for a health revolution that prioritizes prevention, natural wellness, and education.” The piece does not mention his stance on vaccines. [Daily Caller, 1/28/25]
  • Newsmax’s Bianca de la Garza suggested Kennedy will bring “transparency when it comes to health,” citing his vaccine skepticism, but not his specific stances. Garza: “He's been, you know, all over talking about vaccines for a long, long time.” [Newsmax, Newsline, 1/27/25]

Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.

Caroline Kennedy Warns Senate Against Confirming Her Cousin RFK Jr.

Caroline Kennedy Warns Senate Against Confirming Her Cousin RFK Jr.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s cousin, Caroline Kennedy, sent a letter to the Senate Tuesday imploring them to reject his nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, saying he is a "predator" and a recovering drug addict who is now "addicted to attention and power."

“I have known Bobby my whole life; we grew up together,” Kennedy, the only living child of former President John F. Kennedy, wrote in the letter, which she later read on video. “It’s no surprise that he keeps birds of prey as pets because he himself is a predator.”

She sent the letter one day before RFK Jr. will begin his confirmation hearings before the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

In Kennedy’s searing letter, she attacked RFK Jr. for his personal conduct and his lack of experience, saying that both should disqualify him from leading the country’s health care infrastructure. s

“He lacks any relevant government, financial, management, or medical experience. His views on vaccines are dangerous and willfully misinformed,” Kennedy said, accusing him of causing the deaths of 80 children in Samoa who died of Measles after he spread anti-vaccine propaganda on the island.

“These facts alone should be disqualifying, but he has personal qualities related to this job, which for me pose even greater concern,” she continued.

Kennedy also addressed RFK Jr.’s heroin addiction, saying that, while she commends him for being in recovery, he is responsible for getting other family members addicted to drugs.

“Siblings and cousins who Bobby encouraged down the path of substance abuse suffered addiction, illness, and death, while Bobby has gone on to misrepresent, lie, and cheat his way through life,” she said.

She also shared a disturbing story about how RFK Jr. “enjoyed showing off how he put baby chickens and mice in the blender to feed his hawks. It was often a perverse scene of despair and violence.”

This letter is not the first time Kennedy has criticized her cousin.

“I think Bobby Kennedy’s views on vaccines are dangerous, but I don’t think most Americans share them.” RFK Jr. falsely believes vaccines cause autism, and doctors fear that if he is put in charge of HHS he would pose “direct threat to the safety of our patients and the public at large,” she said in November to an audience in Australia, where she served as ambassador in the Biden administration.

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RFK Jr.’s siblings have also been critical.

"Our brother Bobby's decision to endorse Trump today is a betrayal of the values that our father and our family hold most dear. It is a sad ending to a sad story,” they wrote in a joint statement after he ended his presidential campaign and endorsed Donald Trump.

It’s unclear whether RFK Jr. will be confirmed. A handful of Republicans have expressed trepidation about supporting him, including Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, a polio survivor who has criticized RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine misinformation.

Sen. Joni Ernst, Republican of Iowa, said that RFK Jr. will need to convince her that he is not pro-abortion to get her vote. And Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska, also expressed concern about his anti-vaccine record.

RFK Jr. can afford to lose just three GOP Senators’ votes to be confirmed as secretary of health and human services.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos

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