Seventy-seven Nobel Prize winners have publicly voiced their opposition to the nomination of environmental and health activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The Nobel Laureates have penned a letter urging the United States Senate to reject Kennedy's nomination, citing concerns about his lack of credentials in health science or administration, his anti-vaccine stance, and his promotion of conspiracy theories related to mainstream medical treatments.
The letter warns that appointing Kennedy to lead HHS could endanger public health and undermine America's global leadership in health sciences.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., known for his environmental advocacy work, is the founder of Children's Health Defense, a nonprofit organization accused of spreading misinformation about vaccines, including debunked claims linking vaccination to autism.
The Nobel Laureates highlight Kennedy's opposition to widely-accepted public health measures such as vaccination and water fluoridation, as well as his denial of scientific evidence linking HIV to AIDS.
Furthermore, the letter describes Kennedy as a vocal critic of health agencies like the FDA, CDC, and NIH, accusing them of corruption and industry capture.
If confirmed, Kennedy would oversee a vast health policy bureaucracy with a $2 trillion budget, managing critical programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act.
The Department of Health and Human Services plays a pivotal role in guiding public health policy, funding medical research, supporting child welfare programs, and developing bioterrorism defense strategies.
In response to his nomination, Kennedy has pledged to combat corruption in government health agencies, promote evidence-based science, and address the chronic disease epidemic in America.
Notably, Kennedy is not the first HHS nominee to face scrutiny over his lack of health-related experience, as seen in the case of Xavier Becerra's confirmation in 2020.
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Despite opposition, Becerra was confirmed as HHS Secretary with a narrow 50-49 Senate vote, backed by Democrats and one Republican.
