Politics
RFK Jr. Clarifies Stance: ‘Don’t Take Medical Advice from Me’ | RFK Jr. Medical Advice
RFK Jr. medical advice
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the country’s top health officer, was facing back-to-back congressional hearings on Wednesday as he neared his 100th day in office. He was defending his vaccine policy in the face of a burgeoning measles outbreak, the layoff of thousands of federal health professionals, and huge cuts to the agencies he commands.
The hearings, which marked the first time the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services has appeared before Congress since assuming office, were disrupted by demonstrators and featured intense conversations with lawmakers about the future of the country’s health.
Kennedy battled with lawmakers on vaccinations and the radical restructure of his agency, even as he found common ground on attempts to restrict food dyes, stop pharmaceutical advertising, and decrease drug prices.
Kennedy defended his choice to decrease HHS, arguing he was concentrating the country’s public health system to be more effective and focused on treating chronic ailments. Democrats did not hold back, blasting the secretary for reducing money for the country’s whole public health system, including biological research and staffing.
Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wisconsin) questioned Kennedy, the head of a well-known anti-vaccine organization, if he would vaccinate his own child against measles today. It was one of the most pointed questions he made during the first hearing before a House Appropriations panel. Kennedy answered, “Probably,” after pausing.
Democrats took advantage of the chance to criticize Kennedy’s reaction to the country’s deadliest lethal measles outbreak in decades. At initially, he minimized the outbreak’s significance and advocated for experimental therapies, stating that vaccination is a matter of personal taste. Kennedy’s “doublespeak” about vaccinations has been attacked by public health authorities, who believe that it is putting Americans in danger. Kennedy claimed during his confirmation hearing this year that he supports the measles vaccine and has emphasized that he is merely looking for good data about vaccines.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) also engaged in a heated confrontation with Kennedy, arguing that Kennedy was destroying public faith in vaccines by denigrating the measles vaccine while promoting it.
Kennedy answered, “I am not just going to tell people everything is safe and effective if I know there are issues,” in response to the senator’s push to back the measles vaccination.
Kennedy is erroneous, according to public health experts, who have reiterated time and time again that the measles vaccine is the safest, most efficient, and quickest approach to control the outbreak.
During the Senate and House hearings, lawmakers mostly questioned Kennedy about measles and the HHS cuts that Kennedy oversaw.
With the removal of top career officials, the elimination of almost 20,000 jobs, the threat of billions of dollars in federally supported scientific research, and the proposal for a significant overhaul of the health department, the Trump administration has taken steps to change the country’s public health infrastructure.
“An exploding debt is a social determinant of health,” Kennedy remarked in his opening remarks to the House panel. “We need to spend more wisely,” he continued.