WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Patty Murray issued a statement in response to President-elect Donald Trump’s reported selection of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).
“Donald Trump’s selection of a notorious anti-vaxxer to lead HHS could not be more dangerous—this is cause for deep concern for every American. There is no telling how far a fringe conspiracy theorist like RFK Jr. could set back America in terms of public health, reproductive rights, research and innovation, and so much else. The consequences here are not theoretical or superficial—health care access, coverage, research, and public health are life or death issues for people—and the COVID pandemic was an all too recent, all too painful reminder. The last time Donald Trump was President he sent the uninsured rate skyrocketing and did quite possibly irreparable damage to trust in public health—and he has made clear he plans to do much worse in a second term, no matter the consequences. Confirming RFK Jr. as HHS Secretary would be nothing short of a disaster for the health of millions of families. I urge my Senate Republican colleagues to join me in forcefully condemning and opposing this catastrophic nomination.”
Senator Murray is a senior member and former chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee.
