John,

A world where measles surges, polio returns, and life saving vaccines are cast aside for conspiracy theories could be our future if Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a long-time spreader of vaccine misinformation, becomes Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).

As head of this critical agency, he would oversee programs that save millions of lives every year. This is a public health emergency waiting to happen.

Kennedy’s history of promoting debunked claims about vaccines causing autism, and calling COVID-19 vaccines a “crime against humanity,” has already fueled deadly vaccine hesitancy. Vaccines for Children, a program credited with saving over a million lives, could be at risk under his leadership.

That’s why Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb has warned that Kennedy’s confirmation would lead to plummeting vaccination rates and preventable deaths. The bottom line is that public health needs leaders grounded in science, not conspiracy theories.

Every Senator must hear loud and clear: Reject Kennedy’s nomination to protect public health and the trust Americans place in lifesaving programs.

Kennedy’s harmful rhetoric doesn’t stop at vaccines. He’s made bizarre claims from endorsing heroin as a focus aid to suggesting that chemicals in water affect sexual orientation, raising serious questions about his fitness to oversee agencies like the CDC, FDA, and NIH.

Kennedy’s nomination is a dangerous departure from the principles of evidence-based public health. If his track record of promoting pseudoscience and sowing mistrust in our health systems becomes policy, it will cost lives.

The Senate must protect the American people by ensuring HHS is led by someone committed to science and public welfare. Kennedy’s radical views are incompatible with this mission, and his appointment could set back decades of progress in disease prevention and health equity.

Stand with us in urging Senators to reject Kennedy’s nomination. His rhetoric has already done enough harm; we cannot afford to give him a platform to do more.

Together, we can defend science and save lives by stopping this nomination in its tracks.

- DFA AF Team