Action Item: Senators Must Vote No to RFK Jr. as HHS Nominee
Urgent! Oppose RFK Jr. as HHS Nominee with US Senate Finance Committee Vote on Feb 4th
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) by the Trump administration, financially benefits from opposing vaccinations and supports nationwide spread of infectious disease such as COVID-19. The nomination hearings finished this past week and the US Senate Finance Committee will be voting on recommending Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Jr. on Tuesday, February 4, 2025. We are grateful for all of your voices in opposing this candidate as the leader of America’s primary public health agency. We need to continue to oppose this nominee to protect the health of the American public and the future of medicine and healthcare.
There remains bipartisan opposition to his nominee and Louisiana's Senator, Bill Cassidy, is potentially the deciding vote that could lead to RFK Jr. 's recommendation for vote. Everyone must continue to ask their senator to oppose this HHS nominee. Louisiana residents in particular, please call Senator Bill Cassidy’s office using the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and express your opposition or email his office to voice your opposition to RFK Jr. as nominee.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. remains a source of deceptive claims on many public health issues. He created an anti-vaccine organization that intentionally spreads false and unscientific information which has clearly led to deaths. He petitioned FDA in May 2021 to stop COVID vaccinations, but has promoted ineffective treatments for COVID such as ivermectin. He has even proposed having NIH “take ‘a break’ from studying infectious diseases.” An attorney, Kennedy has intentionally hidden that he earns millions from his work in the anti-vaccination campaigns. His plan to continue earning from ongoing litigation poses a big conflict of interest. Throughout last week’s hearing, the nominee shared inconsistent responses on his view on vaccines and failed to acknowledge definitive evidence on effective public health practices.
If voted as the secretary of HHS, he will continue to downplay the seriousness of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases, and this ongoing COVID-19 pandemic will potentially worsen. More people will get sick, develop Long COVID, or die from COVID-19. The development of therapeutics for COVID-19 and Long COVID may potentially be hampered.
You can submit a letter to your members of Congress both the House and the Senate via our Action Network or contact members Congress using their contact information, keeping our letter in full or editing it as you wish.
Please personalize your letter. Letters to elected officials are most effective when they start with a brief personal comment (a sentence or two) about why and how these individuals could impact you, your loved ones, and/or your community.
Especially for those living in Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, or West Virginia, your senator has a deciding vote in this nomination process. Please call their office using the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and express your strong opposition.
Letter Template
Dear Senator,
As a resident of your state, I oppose the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). I have many concerns with him in this role. This is a bipartisan issue.
Mr. Kennedy lacks the experience and understanding required to lead America’s public health department. He does not understand policy that affects the health of millions of Americans nor does he have the expertise needed to oversee various agencies under HHS, including the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Health Resources Services Administration, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and more.
He has intentionally deceived the public on important health information by promoting conspiracies about vaccines, opposing the importance of fluoride in drinking water, and endorsing ineffective medicine for COVID-19. With financial conflicts of interest that totals millions of dollars, he has had a significant role in undermining public health.
I respectfully ask you to oppose these nominations for HHS. We need someone who will advance science and medicine with evidence-based approaches to public health sciences.
Thank you for your time.