Secretary Kennedy Won't Make America Healthy Again

Robert Kennedy’s strategy to Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) is to destroy America’s public health institutions, which he justifies as necessary to restore the country’s confidence in them. His actions and the resulting confusion confirm my belief that he lacks the knowledge and leadership to actually improve the country’s health.

Rather than ruminate alone, I shared my disdain with Alabama’s Senators, who voted to confirm Kennedy as HHS secretary.

Robert Kennedy barely received Senate confirmation to become Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary. You voted to confirm him.

Among his many commitments to gain Republican support, he assured the Senate he would make no change to the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). He promised not to make it more difficult to access vaccines.

Violating both promises, he dismissed all 17 members of the ACIP and appointed several new members who share his skepticism of vaccines. He changed the CDC’s recommendations for COVID boosters, which will make it difficult, if not impossible, for some people to receive the vaccine. His disingenuous claim that boosters will be available for anyone who wants them doesn’t acknowledge that not all pharmacies will offer the vaccine, and the cost may be unaffordable for many.

Secretary Kennedy fired Dr. Susan Monarez, the Director of the CDC, less than a month after she was confirmed by the Senate. His rationale was absurd and unbelievable.

Kennedy has severely cut research, and his budget proposal for FY2026 is 40 percent below previous years’ budgets. Research cuts include $500 million for projects to apply mRNA technology to other vaccines. mRNA vaccines were arguably the finest accomplishment of the first Trump administration, given their efficacy and the “warp speed” to develop. Yet the secretary claims they provide insufficient protection.

Secretary Kennedy promised to restore America’s trust in the CDC and our other health institutions.

Writing as one American, I now have no trust in the actions and staffing appointments made by Secretary Kennedy, which he cloaks in fake science.

I urge you to help restore the CDC, NIH, and other health institutions. It’s not too late to redeem your tragic vote to confirm Secretary Kennedy by calling for his resignation or firing.