Now that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s two affirmation hearings have concluded on Capitol Hill, we’ve got clear proof that he’s unfit to steer our nation’s largest well being company.
All through the hearings there was an amazing concentrate on his years lengthy efforts to undermine the general public’s confidence in vaccines. His advocacy document in opposition to vaccines has been exhaustively examined and is evident, unequivocal and past dispute.
However the hearings additionally made it clear to that he’s unqualified nicely past his positions on vaccines. Kennedy’s testimony demonstrated that he has neither the coaching, administration expertise, judgment, or understanding of science to be our nation’s chief well being official.
He’s an environmental lawyer whose coaching and expertise is insufficient for this place. This was evident when he confirmed he was unprepared as a witness and unable to reply essentially the most basic questions on well being and well being coverage. This was not intelligent political query dodging. His solutions to most questions have been complicated and confirmed little grasp of the factual materials required for this place. Whereas the HHS secretary doesn’t should be an epidemiologist, the individual within the place ought to possess the fundamental mental curiosity and drive to hit the bottom operating. The variety of important well being challenges that must be addressed on day one calls for somebody with the rigor and fundamental capability to research information, craft options and coordinate a response. Being HHS secretary shouldn’t be an internship.
HHS has an working finances of just about $2 trillion, about 17% of the U.S. gross home product. It has a employees of over 80,000 individuals throughout 13 working divisions. It’s a complicated group overlaying virtually each side of our lives. Kennedy’s administration expertise is restricted, having been concerned with a few environmental advocacy teams with revenues within the $9 million to $30 million vary and nothing with any diploma of complexity.
Evaluation: RFK Jr. doubles down on vaccine criticism and misinformation, imperiling key votes
His judgment and temperament for the job are questionable. He has demonstrated erratic actions through the years, together with dumping a lifeless bear in Central Park and selling conspiracy theories. His truthfulness can also be extremely questionable, as he has proven an inclination to cherry-pick information to assist his false statements, exaggerate points, and flip-flop on key points. He’s among the many nation’s most prolific purveyors of misinformation about vaccines, antidepressants, the reason for HIV, and environmental toxins. He even promoted the damaging apply of consuming uncooked milk as we cope with the present chicken flu outbreak affecting dairy cows. It was crystal clear from the hearings that his actions are hazardous to our well being. And, when Kennedy says he simply desires extra analysis and can reply to the info, he’s leaning on the identical previous, tried-and-true anti-vaxxer playbook he all the time has. Sow doubt. Strew uncertainty. Unfold worry.
Some of the obtrusive deficits Kennedy confirmed was a outstanding lack of expertise of even the fundamental tenets of our well being care financing system. He repeatedly confused Medicare with Medicaid, didn’t perceive the fundamentals of the Inexpensive Care Act, and persistently misstated recognized information on the constructive well being advantages and scientific outcomes of Medicaid on beneficiaries. The Facilities of Medicaid and Medicare Providers is the only largest payer for well being care within the nation. It instantly covers about half of all Individuals and influences the well being insurance policies for all. He should perceive this complicated system if he’s going to supervise it. He doesn’t.
Kennedy is right in shining a lightweight on the preventable continual illness epidemic that causes the vast majority of deaths within the U.S. Nonetheless, he mischaracterizes continual ailments and the options to handle them.
He falsely attributes an increase in kids’s continual ailments to mass poisoning by environmental toxins. (He consists of vaccines as a part of these “toxins.”) It’s one factor to advocate for extra analysis on the affiliation between sure chemical compounds, resembling PFAS, and childhood weight problems; it’s one other to place ahead a conspiracy that accuses federal scientists of hiding the reality from the general public.
His blame on the pharmaceutical sector stems from his continued marketing campaign in opposition to vaccines. Whereas all medical merchandise have advantages and dangers, vaccines have been proven to be one of the crucial essential public well being instruments in historical past, having saved hundreds of thousands of lives throughout generations. Advocating for extra vaccine security analysis is affordable; actively encouraging vaccine hesitancy at a time after we are seeing higher vaccine-preventable sickness than ever earlier than is harmful.
RFK Jr.’s step-by-step blueprint to query the security of vaccines
He has said that he desires federal businesses to concentrate on continual ailments and never infectious ailments when they’re inextricably linked. Individuals have the next danger of extreme outcomes from infectious illness threats in the event that they already undergo from a number of continual diseases, and infectious ailments can exacerbate or trigger some non-communicable situations. NIH ought to improve analysis on vitamin, together with on ultra-processed meals; however it mustn’t pause its analysis on infectious ailments.
Insufficient administration expertise, uninformed on well being care financing, unsuitable on vaccines, and unsuitable on continual ailments. The Senate ought to reject Kennedy for the sake of our well being. He has demonstrated conclusively that he’s not the one.
Georges C. Benjamin, M.D., is government director of the American Public Well being Affiliation.
