Seventy-seven Nobel laureates signed a letter urging the Senate to oppose the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), The New York Times reported Monday.
In the letter, the 77 Nobel laureates in medicine, chemistry, physics and economics said they have concerns about Kennedy’s lack of “relevant experience” and about some of the public positions he has taken.
“In addition to his lack of credentials or relevant experience in medicine, science, public health, or administration, Mr. Kennedy has been an opponent of many health-protecting and life-saving vaccines, such as those that prevent measles and polio; a critic of the well-established positive effects of fluoridation of drinking water; a promoter of conspiracy theories about remarkably successful treatments for AIDS and other diseases; and a belligerent critic of respected agencies (especially the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control, and the National Institutes of Health),” the letter read.
“The leader of DHHS [Department of Health and Human Services] should continue to nurture and improve — not threaten — these important and highly respected institutions and their employees,” the letter continued.
President-elect Trump’s nomination of Kennedy has sparked concern among some Democrats and public health figures, who say they worry Kennedy could meddle with key government agencies, amplify vaccine hesitancy, and direct agency funding to favor his preferred views.
If confirmed, Kennedy would lead the department that oversees 13 separate agencies, has a budget of nearly $2 trillion and administers federal health programs including Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. The HHS and its subagencies are responsible for responding to diseases and public health threats like COVID-19 and bird flu, as well as approving new drugs, including vaccines.
Kennedy is the founder of one of the most prominent anti-vaccine groups in the country and has promoted the debunked claim that childhood vaccines cause autism. He also said recently he wants to eliminate fluoride from the country’s drinking supply, raising concerns for health officials who consider adding the mineral chemical a major advancement to preserving teeth.
Kennedy has been a vocal critic of some of the agencies he seeks to oversee. He has said federal health regulators are “sock puppets” held captive by industry special interests and has vowed to purge entire departments at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to root out corruption.
In October, Kennedy said in a post on social platform X that the FDA’s “war on public health is about to end,” adding, “If you work for the FDA and are part of this corrupt system, I have two messages for you: 1. Preserve your records, and 2. Pack your bags.”
“In view of his record,” the Nobel laureates wrote in the letter, “placing Mr. Kennedy in charge of DHHS would put the public’s health in jeopardy and undermine America’s global leadership in the health sciences, in both the public and commercial sectors.”
The Hill has reached out to the Trump team for comment.