Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens of Michigan introduced Thursday that she plans to introduce articles of impeachment towards Well being and Human Providers Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., citing his unscientific medical practices as a risk to public well being.
“RFK Jr. is making our country less safe and making healthcare less affordable and accessible for Michiganders. His contempt for science, the constant spreading of conspiracy theories, and his complete disregard for the thousands of research hours spent by America’s top doctors and experts is unprecedented, reckless, and dangerous,” she stated in a press release.
Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens of Michigan
Stevens added that she believes that Kennedy has violated his oath of workplace and that she intends to “lead the charge to remove him.”
Just like that of the president, articles of impeachment should move the Home, adopted by a Senate trial. If convicted within the Senate, an official can then be faraway from workplace.
Stevens has accused Kennedy of dereliction of responsibility, citing cuts to important analysis, promotion of medical falsehoods and conspiracies, mendacity about his views throughout his affirmation listening to, and failing to manage the Meals and Drug Administration and the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, that are below his management.
The impeachment cost follows President Donald Trump’s broadly derided presentation on Monday, the place Kennedy appeared alongside Facilities for Medicare and Medicaid Administrator Mehmet Oz. Collectively, they falsely claimed that autism may be linked to vaccines and the usage of acetaminophen.
In response, scientists and docs from world wide have lashed out on the Trump administration, highlighting the hazards of their unscientific medical claims—significantly amongst weak youngsters.
However regardless of the general public outcry, the autism quackery embraced by Trump, Kennedy, and Ozhas acquired assist from key GOP figures.
A cartoon by Pedro Molina.
“God bless President Trump and RFK Jr. for asking the questions and starting to use their positions, their platform, to give parents informed consent,” Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin stated.
The autism debacle is simply the most recent in a string of failure and embarrassment from well being businesses on Kennedy’s watch. His determination to censor CDC experiences and muzzle specialists contributed to an unprecedented measles outbreak in Texas earlier this yr.
Kennedy has repeatedly pushed unscientific fears about COVID-19 vaccines and beefed up the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices with compliant followers who’ve restricted entry to vaccines.
In his affirmation hearings, Kennedy stated that he would uphold present vaccine requirements, however in workplace he has executed the alternative. He’s additionally pushing to restrict entry to abortion drugs whereas attempting to strain worldwide scientists towards publishing goal analysis on the effectiveness of vaccines.
Individuals have died on account of Kennedy’s malpractice, which has been enabled by Trump. If profitable, Stevens’ impeachment plan might put a cease to all of it.