The Center for Inquiry (CFI) urges our supporters to make their voices heard on a crucial matter of public health: Join us in opposing the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).
As CFI president and CEO Robyn Blumner declared, Kennedy “may very well be the worst possible choice the incoming president could make for the vital job of protecting public health.” For starters, he is a lawyer with no training in medicine or public health.
Much worse, of course, is that he is a well-known opponent of vaccines who has for many years spread dangerous misinformation. This includes the scientifically discredited claim that childhood vaccines cause autism. As Secretary of HHS, Kennedy would possess the power to reduce access to vaccines – as well as to erode Americans’ trust in vaccination (and in science-based medicine in general).
Given that vaccines rank high among modern medicine’s most significant advances, it is difficult to overstate the potential harm. One need look no further than the deadly measles outbreak in Samoa in 2019, where Kennedy spread misinformation about vaccines that contributed to the deaths of 83 people, mostly children.
Among other claims he has made regarding public health matters:
- Kennedy has called the COVID-19 vaccine the “deadliest vaccine ever made” and has instead touted ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine as effective treatments for COVID-19;
- Kennedy has claimed that 5G wireless network service is being used to “control our behavior”;
- He has falsely argued that HIV does not cause AIDS, despite clear scientific proof to the contrary;
- And he has linked mass shootings to the use of antidepressants.
Additionally, the Secretary of HHS oversees vital federal agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
These agencies have a tremendous combined responsibility to ensure the health and welfare of the American people. Kennedy is manifestly unfit to lead them given that he sows distrust in science, spreads conspiracy theories, and expresses disdain for the “medical establishment.”
America simply deserves better leadership on health. Please contact your member of the U.S. Senate and urge them to oppose Kennedy’s nomination for Secretary of HHS.
