Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., known as out Secretary of Well being and Human Companies Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for his “extremist beliefs” and known as on him to resign throughout a contentious congressional listening to the place legislators grilled Kennedy on his actions and beliefs that consultants warn have undermined U.S. public well being and security.
Warnock calls RFK Jr. a risk and an extremist
On Thursday, Kennedy appeared earlier than the Senate Finance Committee and confronted powerful questions from a number of committee members. One of the crucial combative exchanges occurred between Kennedy and Warnock. The Democratic senator from Georgia, the place the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention is headquartered, confronted Kennedy for politicizing his division to advertise his skepticism of science.
“Clearly you’ve an agenda. It’s a risk to the general public well being of the American folks. It’s clear that you’re finishing up your extremist beliefs,” Warnock mentioned.
Kennedy responded by claiming, with out proof or clarification, that Individuals are “the sickest folks on earth.” Warnock then advised Kennedy, “You’re a hazard to the well being of the American folks. I believe that you simply must resign. And for those who don’t resign, the president of the US, who put ahead Operation Warp Velocity, which labored, ought to fireplace you.”
Bipartisan criticism of Kennedy
The trade between Warnock and Kennedy was a part of a listening to that lasted over three hours, as Democratic and Republican senators grilled Kennedy. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., each questioned Kennedy’s firing of Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention head Susan Monarez, reportedly for refusing to log off on new vaccine insurance policies that consultants warn will undermine public well being. Sen. Invoice Cassidy, R-La., who beforehand forged a key vote in assist of Kennedy through the secretary’s affirmation course of, has since turn out to be a critic of Kennedy’s vaccine insurance policies. Cassidy, a doctor, questioned Kennedy for firing a vaccine advisory board and changing its members with vaccine skeptics and other people with monetary pursuits in undermining vaccine makers.
Trump administration sticks with Kennedy’s controversial efficiency
Since being tapped by President Donald Trump to steer the company in control of regulating public well being, Kennedy has controversially promoted vaccine skepticism, restricted entry to COVID-19 vaccines, pushed out high public well being officers and laid off tons of of workers members at businesses just like the CDC and the Nationwide Institutes of Well being. Kennedy’s insurance policies and stances have led to public pushback from staff of businesses below the management of the Division of Well being and Human Companies. Regardless of the controversy and opposition to Kennedy from public well being consultants, the Trump administration continues to defend the secretary. White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned that Kennedy has turn out to be a goal of Democrats whereas “the Trump Administration is addressing root causes of continual illness, embracing transparency in authorities, and championing gold-standard science,” in a publish on X, previously Twitter.
Whereas the Trump administration seems intent on holding Kennedy, discontent along with his efficiency and agenda appears to develop on each side of the political aisle. Regardless of the rhetoric from the White Home, Democrats and Republicans have known as out Kennedy for undermining transparency, science and the combat in opposition to harmful ailments in ways in which may put many Individuals in danger.
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