Dear John,
The Centers for Disease Control estimates the Covid-19 vaccines have saved 3.2 million lives in the United States. Yet in a Senate hearing this week, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told senators he had no idea how many Americans had been saved. He also didn’t know how many Americans died. Senator Mark Warner replied:
“And you are sitting as secretary of Health and Human Services? How can you be that ignorant?”
RFK Jr.'s appearance at the Senate hearing was a disgrace to his office. He failed to be truthful or acknowledge the harm he has caused. Instead, he resorted to lies, denials, and the promotion of the same irresponsible anti-vaccine conspiracy theories that have defined his career.
Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican and a medical doctor, detailed the lethal repercussions of Kennedy's proposals. Cancer patients unable to access vaccines. Pharmacists left in legal limbo. Senator Elizabeth Warren explained how the vaccine rollout is collapsing under his leadership.
Kennedy dismissed it all.
Previously, Kennedy had fired the CDC’s career experts, replaced the CDC’s independent advisory committee with anti-vaccine extremists and conspiracy theorists, and cancelled all research funding for mRNA vaccines.
Now, at the direction of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the emergency use authorization for these life-saving Covid-19 vaccines has been revoked.
This is a calculated destruction of public health from the inside. Every day he remains in power makes the country less safe.
Send a direct message to Congress demanding they take immediate action to pressure Kennedy to resign, urge Trump to fire him, and call for impeachment proceedings for placing the health of every American at risk by lying to Congress during his confirmation now.
The revocation of the Covid-19 vaccines comes after a week of unprecedented turmoil at the CDC, as Kennedy fired the new CDC Director, Dr. Susan Monarez, resulting in the immediate resignations of four of the nation’s top health officials from the agency, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, Dr. Deb Houry, Dr. Daniel Jernigan and Dr. Jen Layden.
Over 1,000 current and former HHS staff wrote an open letter calling on Kennedy to resign or be fired for "endangering the nation's health.” The letter explained “Our oath requires us to speak out when the Constitution is violated and the American people are put at risk."
Separately, nine former CDC directors wrote a New York Times op-ed saying Kennedy’s public health decisions are "unlike anything we [have] ever seen at the agency," and that firing Monarez "adds considerable fuel to this raging fire."
The tumult at the CDC has reached such a pitch that even Republicans in Congress are expressing their discontent.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said “he’s got to take responsibility” for firing the director after the Senate had gone through “a lot of work” to get her confirmed.
Republican Senator Thom Tillis expressed his dismay at Dr. Monarez’s firing: “I don’t see how you go over four weeks from a public health expert with unimpeachable scientific credentials, a longtime champion of MAHA values, caring and compassionate and brilliant microbiologist, and four weeks later fire her.”
And Senator John Barrasso, the Senate’s second-ranking Republican, took direct aim at Kennedy’s stance on vaccines:
“I support vaccines. I'm a doctor. Vaccines work. Secretary Kennedy, in your confirmation hearings, you promised to uphold the highest standards for vaccines. Since then, I've grown deeply concerned. The public has seen measles outbreaks, the National Institute of Health questioning the use of mRNA vaccines, the director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fired… A recent poll said 89 percent of voters, 81 percent of Trump voters, agree vaccine recommendations should come from trained physicians, scientists, public health experts... If we're going to make America healthy again, we can't allow public health to be undermined.”
Trump and RFK Jr. are making these life-saving vaccines unavailable for nearly all Americans, regardless of your politics, your personal health status, or your views on medical science or public health.
Given this level of outrage, there may be enough Republican opposition in Congress to support our demands: RFK Jr. must resign, be fired, or be impeached immediately!
Thank you for speaking up to demand that RFK Jr. must go. Now!
Robert Reich
Inequality Media Civic Action
