Some lawmakers and public health leaders decried the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for health secretary by President-elect Trump.
U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., called the choice “f—— insane.”
“The RFK as Health Secretary appointment is f—— insane,” he wrote on X. “He’s a vaccine denier and a tin foil hat conspiracy theorist. He will destroy our public health infrastructure and our vaccine distribution systems. This is going to cost lives.”
Garcia’s office was not immediately available for comment.
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In a statement posted on social media, Kennedy said he plans to tackle a range of issues should he be confirmed by the Senate to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
“Together we will clean up corruption, stop the revolving door between industry and government, and return our health agencies to their rich tradition of gold-standard, evidence-based science. I will provide Americans with transparency and access to all the data so they can make informed choices for themselves and their families,” he wrote.
Kennedy rose to prominence as a skeptic of vaccines, while voicing concerns about their impact.
Madhukar Pai, chair of McGill University’s Global and Public Health Department in Montreal, Canada, said Kennedy’s appointment could be the “biggest setback to global vaccination programs since Andrew Wakefield,” referring to the British scientist who published research linking vaccines to autism that was later retracted.
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Garcia, the former mayor of Long Beach who served on the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, previously described Kennedy as a threat to public health during a hearing.
“The fact that we’re considering to bring somebody on with no scientific or medical credentials, who’s falsely claimed for decades that vaccines cause autism, who has, quite frankly, said just outrageous comments about science and medicine, that this person would come in to gut the NIH (National Institutes of Health), I think is shameful,” he said.
“We should be very concerned as a country that RFK Jr. could be put in charge of health when he is a vaccine denier and has caused great harm to the American public.”
Donna Shalala, the longest serving HHS secretary, called Kennedy’s nomination “shocking.”
“Kennedy is an unqualified, know-nothing. He is dangerous to the health and well-being of every American,” she said.
Despite the pushback, Kennedy has supporters. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, urged Kennedy to make changes at HHS and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican, noted that Kennedy has championed issues like healthy foods and greater transparency in public health infrastructure.
“I look forward to learning more about his other policy positions and how they will support a conservative, pro-American agenda,” Cassidy wrote on X.
Kennedy was previously considered for a Cabinet position in 2008, when President-elect Barack Obama reportedly considered naming him to lead the Environmental Protection Agency.
