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November 2024

ROUNDUP: “Dangerous Rogue” Dr. Oz Set Tapped To Lead CMS With “No Experience”

From “Magic Weight-Loss Beans” To Hydroxychloroquine To Selenium Supplements, Dr. Oz Promotes “Scientifically Dubious Theories”

Yesterday, Donald Trump nominated Dr. Mehmet Oz to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Between Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and the Affordable Care Act, over 160 million Americans rely on CMS for their health care. Dr. Oz supports efforts to privatize Medicare and has said that he would have voted against the Affordable Care Act (ACA). His proposals threaten to raise costs and put health care for millions at risk. Instead of nominating someone with experience, Trump chose a dishonest, celebrity medical professional who is most known for promoting scams. The American Medical Association’s Journal of Ethics has called him “a dangerous rogue unfit for the office of America’s doctor.” Between the nominations of Dr. Oz and RFK Jr., it is clear Donald Trump is building a cabinet that mirrors himself: incompetent, inexperienced, and unqualified.

HEADLINES

Washington Post: What to Know About Dr. Oz, the TV Physician Trump Tapped to Run Medicare. 

  • “Throughout his television career, Oz broached controversial topics in segments that sparked backlash, and he broadcast products and advice that critics said were not backed by evidence. A feature on gay conversion therapy that asked viewers, “Is there a gay cure?” was slammed by LGBTQ+ groups.”
  • “A group of doctors unsuccessfully pushed Columbia University to cut ties with Oz over his statements against genetically modified foods. He promoted a green coffee bean “miracle pill” to lose weight before the company behind the product was sued by the Federal Trade Commission over bogus claims.”
  • “In 2014, a study in the British Medical Journal found that more than half the recommendations made on “The Dr. Oz Show” were either not backed up by, or contradicted, scientific research.”

The Independent: From ‘Magic’ Weight-Loss Coffee Beans To Red Onion Stopping Cancer: Dr Oz’s History Of Baseless Medical Claims. 

  • “He went on to host his own program, The Dr Oz Show, where he spouted other dangerously misleading claims ranging from ‘magic’ coffee beans to spur weight loss and selenium supplements to prevent cancer. A 2017 paper published by the American Medical Association’s Journal of Ethics called him ‘a dangerous rogue unfit for the office of America’s doctor.’”

STAT: Trump Picks Dr. Oz to Lead Medicare and Medicaid.

  • “Oz has faced Senate grilling before for his promotion of weight-loss products on his show. He told senators in 2014 that his image and quotes were used unfairly to hawk scam products.”
  • “Throughout his career, Oz has oscillated between spouting scientific misinformation and taking evidence-based and nuanced stances that place him well outside the Republic mainstream.”
  • “But since entering the world of high-profile Republican politics, he has proved his willingness to toe the party line, perhaps most notably via his newfound vitriol for Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute on Allergy and Infectious Diseases. On Valentine’s Day 2022, during a heated Republican primary against David McCormick (now senator-elect), Oz wrote in a social media post: ‘Roses are red, violets are blue, Dr. Fauci lied to you.’”

Axios: Trump Picks Dr. Oz to Run Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

  • “Oz is a household name and became a Trump world ally during a failed 2022 Senate run. But he has no experience running a large government bureaucracy like CMS, which administers Medicare and Medicaid and conducts other services like inspecting nursing homes.”
  • “He came to national prominence as Oprah’s go-to health guru, and later hosted his own long-running talk show. Oz has repeatedly drawn criticism over the years, including from fellow medical professionals, for espousing scientifically dubious theories and promoting treatments with no documented efficacy.”

New York Times: Trump Plans to Nominate Dr. Mehmet Oz to Oversee Medicare, Medicaid and Obamacare.

  • “Dr. Oz has also frequently clashed with other medical experts. In the early days of the pandemic, he promoted the malaria drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine to ward off the coronavirus, medicines that were shown to be ineffective in treating the virus. A decade ago, he went before a Senate panel and was chastised for hyping so-called miracle weight loss products without substantial proof that they worked.”

Reuters: Trump Picks TV’s Dr. Oz to Run Medicare and Medicaid.

  • “Oz was a regular Fox News commentator during the COVID-19 pandemic and a proponent of unproven treatments for COVID-19 including hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial drug whose use against the disease was also backed by Trump. ”

CNN: Trump Names Dr. Mehmet Oz to Head Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

  • “The CMS administrator is expected to play an important role in the second Trump administration since Republicans are expected to propose changes to Medicaid, which they have sought to shrink in the past. Plus, the White House and GOP lawmakers will have to decide what to do next year about the enhanced Obamacare premium subsidies that are set to expire at the end of 2025.”
  • “Oz, who is an advocate of alternative medicines and treatments, has been skewered by the medical community for years. In 2015, a group of physicians wrote Columbia University, saying they were “dismayed” Oz was a member of the school’s faculty. And in 2014, Oz was scolded by senators during a congressional hearing over his promotion of weight-loss products on his television show.”

COMMENTARY

Senator Patty Murray, President Pro Tempore, (D-WA): “Dr. Oz has zero qualifications, pushes alarming pseudoscience, & holds extreme anti-abortion views. CMS is a critical agency & we need serious leaders to protect Americans’ health care and bring down costs—not TV hosts whose main qualification is their loyalty to Trump.”

Senator Ron Wyden, Senate Finance Committee Chair, (D-OR): “Trump’s health care agenda is all about empowering fraudsters and big business while everyday Americans are stuck with the bill. Dr. Oz is no stranger to peddling nonsense to innocent Americans without facing consequences. This is one of the most consequential positions in American government, touching millions of seniors and families who count on Medicare and Medicaid for affordable health care. Americans deserve a leader at CMS who will stand up to Big Pharma and insurance fraudsters who are misleading seniors and denying them essential health care, and I’m not sure a talk show host is up for the fight. I’m especially concerned about rural communities that count on Medicaid for affordable health care for kids and families – you can’t have rural life without rural health care.”

Rep. Frank Pallone, Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member, (D-NJ-06): “The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is a workhorse agency. It helps ensure access to health care for millions of Americans, including our nation’s seniors, our children, and the poorest Americans. Given the crucial importance of this agency, I am alarmed that President-elect Trump has chosen a TV celebrity without the experience or background to lead it. Unfortunately, this nomination further demonstrates that Trump is not concerned about Americans’ health care. By nominating both RFK, Jr. and Dr. Oz, Trump is doubling down on leaders that peddle in dangerous misinformation that endangers public health.”

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA): “Running Medicare and Medicaid for over 100 million Americans isn’t like hosting a daytime talk show. Dr. Oz is another rich guy who doesn’t care if your health care costs go up or an insurance company denies you coverage. These decisions have life and death consequences.”

FACT SHEET: Trump Threatens To Destroy America’s Top Health Institutions By Nominating RFK Jr. For HHS Secretary

Donald Trump has once again moved to undermine the health care of millions of Americans by nominating Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be the next Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Kennedy is a clear threat to the health care and public health institutions that keep Americans safe. From his fringe views on vaccines to outrageous racist and antisemitic conspiracy theories, Kennedy’s bizarre beliefs demonstrate his obvious lack of fitness for the position. Kennedy has no experience crafting health policy and he wants to dismantle drug development and infectious disease research. His abhorrent and deadly conspiratorial beliefs should not be anywhere near the top federal agency dictating health policy. If he gets confirmed, millions of American lives will be at stake.

RFK Jr. Is A Threat To Public Health

“No Vaccine Is Safe and Effective:” Kennedy Has Been A Leading Anti-Vaccine Voice For Decades With Deadly Consequences, Frequently Targeting Black Communities. Kennedy, who has said, “There’s no vaccine that is safe and effective,” has been a leading voice pushing anti-vaccine conspiracy theories for years. He even said he accosts strangers with babies and urges them not to vaccinate to “save” their children. Nearly two decades ago, Kennedy began spreading a conspiracy theory about the government supposedly working to cover up connections between autism and vaccines. Kennedy has specifically targeted his anti-vaccine dogma at Black Americans. He pushed false claims about Black Americans supposedly being “particularly vulnerable to vaccine injuries including autism” during a 2017 measles outbreak devastating Minnesota’s Somali-American community. In a 2020 interview, Kennedy also asserted without evidence that “People with African blood react differently to vaccines than people with Caucasian blood. They’re much more sensitive.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, he also called the COVID-19 vaccine “a crime against humanity” and falsely claimed that it is the “deadliest vaccine ever made,” releasing a film promoting disproven claims about the dangers of vaccines and explicitly warning Black communities of “sinister” vaccination campaigns. His rhetoric has had deadly consequences; in 2019, 83 people died in a measles epidemic in Samoa after Kennedy visited the island country and met with prominent local anti-vaccine activists.

Kennedy Promotes Dangerous Conspiracy Theories About Fluoridated Water, 5G Cell Service, Antidepressants, “Gay” Chemicals In The Environment, HIV/AIDS, and More. Kennedy believes fluoridated water is “drugging” our children, and has said the second Trump administration would advise states and communities to remove fluoride from the water supply completely. He has also circulated the bogus notion that 5G cellular networks are dangerous, alleging that 5G “causes cancer” and, ‘DNA dysfunction…making our children stupider and sicker.” Kennedy has promoted bizarre beliefs about antidepressants, blaming the SSRI class of medication for school shootings. He has also repeatedly shared unfounded conspiracies that man-made chemicals in the environment could be making children gay or transgender and causing the so-called feminization of boys and masculinization of girls. On multiple occasions, Kennedy has suggested that AIDS may not be caused by HIV, an established scientific fact for decades, claiming instead that, “There are much better candidates than HIV for what causes AIDS.”

Time and Again, Kennedy Has Embraced Blatantly Racist and Antisemitic Views On Public Health Issues. Kennedy has a long history of racism and antisemitism. He has frequently met with and promoted antisemites ranging from disgraced musicians like rapper Ice Cube to fringe online broadcasters and virulent antisemites. At a July 2023 dinner, Kennedy proposed that the COVID-19 virus may have been ethnically targeted to spare Jewish and Chinese people: “COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese.” After the speech went viral, neo-Nazis, holocaust deniers, and antisemites celebrated Kennedy’s conspiracy theory as “100% correct.” In November 2024, new reporting revealed that Kennedy embraced the possibility that the government manufactured the COVID-19 “plandemic,” declaring that the public health response was part of an “agenda that will enslave the entire human race.”

RFK Jr. Is A Threat To The Health of Every American

“I Do Not Believe That Infectious Disease Is An Enormous Threat To Human Health:” Kennedy Threatens to Dismantle America’s Public Health Apparatus. Kennedy has said he will pause all research on drug development and infectious disease and fire hundreds of NIH and FDA employees: “I’m going to go to NIH my first week and I’m going to call all the division heads and I’m going to call all the bureau chiefs and I’m going to say, we’re going to give drug development and infectious disease a break…for about eight years.” Kennedy has also claimed that he will go after medical journals and redirect funding away from disease research. In 2023, Kennedy said, “I do not believe that infectious disease is an enormous threat to human health.”

Kennedy Will “Go Wild” On Women’s Health and Destroy Transgender Health Care. Trump has ominously threatened to let Kennedy “go wild” and “do whatever you want” on women’s health. In August 2023, he backed a 15-week federal abortion ban. Though his campaign quickly walked back the policy, Kennedy stated, “I think the states have a right to protect a child once the child becomes viable, and that right, it increases,” and suggested the point of viability was three months – suggesting that he never supported Roe v. Wade’s federal abortion protections in the first place. RFK Jr. also supports banning evidence-based gender-affirming care that many medical experts consider a medical necessity, calling it a “non-existential” issue.

RFK Jr. Is Unfit to Run America’s Health Care System

Kennedy Is Completely Unqualified To Lead The Nation’s Largest Civilian Agency. Kennedy has no relevant experience for this position, has never worked in government, and has never directed a large organization of any kind. His anti-vaccine group, Children’s Health Defense, lists fewer than ten staff members, compared to more than 80,000 employees of HHS across a diverse array of sub-agencies and departments. Despite being nominated to run HHS, RFK Jr. has failed to take any position on America’s largest health care institutions – Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) which fall under the purview of HHS. In the past, Kennedy falsely claimed that the passage of the ACA resulted in Democrats “getting more money from pharma than Republicans.”

Brain Worms, Animal Carcasses, and Extramarital Affairs: Kennedy Is Unstable and Unfit to Hold Office. Kennedy has a long and well-documented history of erratic and bizarre behavior. In May 2024, Kennedy disclosed that in 2010 doctors found a dead parasitic worm in his brain, leading to brain fog and memory problems. In August 2024, Kennedy admitted to illegally napping roadkill, moving a bear cub’s carcass that was hit by a car in upstate New York to Central Park, and staging a bicycle accident. Federal law enforcement is also currently investigating RFK Jr. for cutting off the head of a dead whale and taking it home 20 years ago. Kennedy has a known history of extramarital affairs as well; this year alone, news broke of a sexting scandal with a reporter and four women came forward claiming to have been romantically involved with Kennedy.

BREAKING: Donald Trump Nominates Deeply Unqualified TV Personality and Scam Artist Dr. Oz to Administer Vital Programs Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and ACA Marketplace

Washington, D.C. — Today, Donald Trump took another disastrous step to undermine the health of the American people by nominating Dr. Mehmet Oz to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). More than 160 million Americans depend on programs administered by CMS for their health care. Medicare covers more than 66 million Americans and Medicaid and CHIP cover nearly 80 million more. Dr. Oz is a sham medical professional who rose to fame promoting health scams on television and, despite residing in New Jersey, ran a failed campaign for Senate in Pennsylvania. He is notorious for popularizing dishonest, anti-science beliefs and flip-flopping on policy to promote his own self-interests. In response, Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse issued the following statement: 

“Once again, Trump shows us he cares more about celebrity than competence. Not since the Wizard of Oz himself has there been a bigger fraud than this guy. Dr. Oz is wholly and deeply unqualified to lead CMS, and his incompetence would put more than 140 million Americans who rely on Medicare and Medicaid at risk. During his run for U.S. Senate, he called the Affordable Care Act the ‘wrong’ system. He exploited the public’s trust in him as a doctor to push quack medical cures, such as fad diets and the use of hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19, in order to line his own pockets. He is a grifter and a threat to public health. Dr. Oz and RFK Jr. at the helm of our country’s health care administration will only lead us into a disaster unlike any other. The American people deserve better than this clown show running American health care.”

People Who Know the Best Think RFK Jr.’s Nomination Is the Worst

On November 14th, Donald Trump took a dangerous step for Americans’ health by nominating anti-vaccince conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to run the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). For years, Kennedy has spouted dangerous anti-vaccination beliefs and spread baseless lies about fluoride in the water supply. While on the campaign trail, he promised to stop research on drug development and infectious diseases. RFK Jr. is a MAGA loyalist who will put the personal interests of Donald Trump ahead of the needs of the American people. The truth is that RFK Jr. is unqualified to lead HHS and radically out of step with the American people. If confirmed, he will be a disaster for our public health. But don’t just take our word for it:

Dr. Mandy Cohen, CDC Director: RFK Jr. Will Take Us “Backwards.” “I don’t want to go backwards and see children or adults suffer or lose their lives to remind us that vaccines work, and so I’m concerned.” [11/14/24

Kathleen Sebelius, Former Health and Human Services Secretary: RFK Jr.’s Nomination Is “Terrifying For The American Public”. “To have someone coming into a scientific agency that is a vaccine skeptic and may well undo decades of public health work, I think, is terrifying for the American public who rely on HHS from cradle to grave for resources, for information, for public health, for oversight of our food and medicines. That, to me, is a very frightening aspect for the American public.” [11/15/24]

Dr. Richard Besser, Former Acting CDC Director,  President and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Having RFK Jr. Lead HHS “Is Extremely Dangerous.” “But to keep lifting up the idea that [the cause of autism] has something to do with vaccination is really a cruel thing to do. It’s pushing the idea that vaccines should be something that is totally up to the individual. We have a social contract in our country. There are things we do for our own health, but there are things we do that are good for ourselves, our families and our communities, and vaccination falls into that category and having somebody who denies that in that role is extremely dangerous. I am outraged because lives are at stake here. The head of Health and Human Services touches programs that affect every single life in our country. To have someone leading HHS who is one of the biggest deniers of vaccines in our country, would undermine the confidence in that program and likely would cost lives.” [11/17/24]

Josh Sharfstein, Former FDA Deputy Commissioner and Public Health Professor at Johns Hopkins University: RFK Jr. Is a “Purveyor of Falsehoods.” “He is a purveyor of falsehoods and he has nothing but contempt for people who work in agencies and have devoted their careers to using science to improve health.” [11/14/24]

Dr. Ashish Jha, Dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, Former Biden Administration COVID-19 Coordinator: RFK Jr. is an “Extraordinarily Bad Choice for the Health of the American People.” “This is an extraordinarily bad choice for the health of the American people. The HHS Secretary shapes health policy in profound ways. He would oversee Medicare for instance  — and determine and shape your parents and grandparents’ health insurance. He and people he appoints would oversee the agency that decides what medicines are available to the American people. His ideas may sound good on bumper stickers but are unserious and often downright harmful. Our healthcare system is far from perfect. But it has spurred so much progress that has benefitted the American people. This appointment, if confirmed, puts all of that at risk.” [11/14/24]

Georges C. Benjamin, Executive Director of the American Public Health Association: “The American People Deserve Better.” “Unfortunately, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has demonstrated a consistent lack of willingness to listen, learn, and act in the best interest of the health of the American people. He was identified in 2021 as a member of the ‘Disinformation Dozen’ that produced 65% of the shares of anti-vaccine misinformation on social media platforms that contributed to the public’s mistrust in science and likely led to morbidity and mortality. The American people deserve better than Mr. Kennedy. We need an HHS secretary under the Trump administration who will listen to science, not discredit it.” [11/18/24]

Jonathan Reiner, MD, Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at George Washington University Hospital and Professor of Medicine at George Washington University: RFK Jr. Is “Unfit” to Lead HHS. “He fits with the pattern we’ve seen this week… the hiring of people that are not just unqualified… but unfit. Mr. Kennedy has already shown over the last ten years his penchant for not just promoting unproven ideas but promoting disproven ideas. He has loudly promoted conspiracy theories such as the COVID virus being bioengineered to spare Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese [people], he’s promoted the completely disproven concept that vaccines are connected to autism, he’s been a loud not just skeptic but denier of the safety and efficacy of all vaccines, most recently mRNA vaccines… So basically we’re putting not just a vaccine denier but a science skeptic in charge of all of the nation’s premier health agencies.” [11/14/24]

Dr. Andrea Love, Immunologist, Microbiologist: “The Damage He Could Do Is Near Infinite.” “Honestly, if you look at the purview of HHS Secretary, the damage he could do is near infinite. And none of his long history gives any indication he will actually do anything to improve health, especially for those of lower socioeconomic status. I can honestly say it has never been this bad… [He could] skew, redirect, and reallocate grant and research funding [toward] fringe research,… cut funding for education and public health initiatives like vaccine campaigns or other public health interventions like fluoridation,… [and slow or halt regulatory approval] for vaccines, biologics, immunotherapies, and other critical medical interventions.” [11/15/24]

Torney Smith, Spokane Regional Health District Administrator: RFK Jr. Doesn’t Understand Public Health “At All.” “I have some early grave concerns. We know enough about Kennedy to understand that he is a person who does not believe in immunizations. He’s an individual that I don’t think understands public health at all. And to put a person like that in charge is reckless, in my opinion.” [11/15/24]

Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group: “The Consequence Will Be Fatal.” Kennedy could use HHS “to pursue the same anti-science positions on life-saving public health interventions that he has advanced previously. If this makes families hesitate to immunize against the deadly diseases that threaten children, the consequence will be fatal for some.” [11/15/24]

Sean O’Leary, Chair of the Committee on Infectious Diseases for the American Academy of Pediatrics: “We Will Have Preventable Deaths.” “My fear is that children and the public will be harmed by an assault on science. We will see more measles, more pertussis. We will have preventable deaths based on politics and misinformation.” [11/14/24]  

Timothy Caulfield, Professor in the Faculty of Law and the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta: RFK Jr. Will Cause “Generational Harm.” “Horrifying. A genuine catastrophe. This is a person who has spread deadly lies and conspiracy theories. He ignores evidence. He ignores experts. I have no doubt that he will do great harm—generational harm—to public health, trust in science, and biomedical research. Moreover, at the international level, he will platform, normalize, and legitimize pseudoscience and health misinformation, making it more ubiquitous and difficult to fact check.” [11/15/24]

Robert Weissman, Co-President of Public Citizen: RFK Jr. Is A “Clear and Present Danger.” “Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is a clear and present danger to the nation’s health. He shouldn’t be allowed in the building at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), let alone be placed in charge of the nation’s public health agency. Donald Trump’s bungling of public health policy during the Covid pandemic cost hundreds of thousands of lives. By appointing Kennedy as his Secretary of HHS, Trump is courting another, policy-driven public health catastrophe.” [11/14/24]

The Fight for Affordable, Equitable Health Care Continues

Dear Friends of Protect Our Care,

As we recover from the shock and disappointment of the 2024 election, I want to pause for a moment to thank everyone in the Protect Our Care family for your extraordinary commitment to making equitable and affordable health care a reality for everyone in America. We will never stop fighting.

I founded Protect Our Care in 2017 to stop Donald Trump from repealing the Affordable Care Act – and we succeeded. But today, the threat to our health care is even more severe. Trump’s nomination of anti-vaccine zealot and conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be HHS Secretary makes it clear that the second Trump administration will be more dangerous to health care in America than any presidential administration in modern American history.

Protect Our Care has been here before. We protected the ACA, Medicaid, and Medicare in the first Trump term. Together, we will protect them again.

This will be a difficult struggle and the consequences of failure are enormous. In addition to the devastation to health care that an RFK Jr. run HHS would cause, Trump and his MAGA Republican allies will also seek to repeal and/or sabotage the Affordable Care Act. This would remove protections for pre-existing conditions and raise health care costs for tens of millions. Trump  also plans to enact draconian funding cuts and work requirements that would devastate Medicaid and threaten health care for its 73 million enrollees. These include low income children and adults as well as people with disabilities and seniors who need long-term care. Republicans have further vowed to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act, which will raise drug prices for millions of seniors.

Protect Our Care will be the “tip of the spear” in this battle to protect our health care from Trump’s extreme agenda. We are an action-oriented organization that combines experience and expertise in policy, politics, legislative strategy, advocacy, message development, communications, and organizing. We are already convening allies, strategizing with leaders in Congress, and expanding our targeted state based efforts.

I am so proud of what we have achieved together and thankful for your partnership. The battle goes on and with your continued support there are more victories to come in the future. 

Best,

Leslie

Trump, Republicans Put Medicaid on the Chopping Block to Fund Tax Breaks for Their Wealthy Friends – Just Like We Said They Would

Washington D.C.— New reporting indicates that Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans are planning to make deep cuts to Medicaid and food assistance in order to fund their outrageous tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans. In response, Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse issued the following statement: 

“Trump is more interested in taking care of his billionaire friends like Elon Musk than health care for over 75 million Americans. This is the dangerous MAGA agenda on full display. Trump and his GOP minions are not wasting any time ripping away Medicaid from millions of Americans — all so they can cash in more tax breaks for the richest one percent and big corporations. As a result, millions of people would lose their health care and costs would go up across the board. Let’s be clear: Medicaid is a lifeline that covers one in four Americans, including kids, moms, seniors, people of color, rural Americans, and people with disabilities. It is unfathomable that MAGA Republicans continue to put growing the wealth of a few over the livelihood and well-being of millions. We cannot let them rip away our health care.”

ROUNDUP: “Scientists Fear What’s Next” As Trump Picks “Totally Unqualified” “Conspiracy Theorist” Robert F. Kennedy Jr. To Lead Health & Human Services

“A Clear And Present Danger To Public Health” and “Extraordinarily Bad Choice” Set To Regulate Health Sector – Over 17 Percent Of The U.S. Economy

Last night, Donald Trump moved to undermine the health care of millions of Americans and the public health of our nation by nominating Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be the next Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. RFK Jr. is a MAGA loyalist that will put the personal interests of Donald Trump ahead of the needs of the American people. Headlines across the nation make clear that, as a known conspiracy theorist with dangerous anti-science and anti-vaccination policy positions, RFK Jr. is unqualified to lead HHS and radically out of step with the American people. If he gets confirmed, American lives will be at risk. 

HEADLINES

Axios: RFK Jr. Pick Sets Off Alarms In Public Health. 

  • “’To put it plainly, RFK Jr. is deeply unqualified, deeply unserious, and deeply dangerous. This nomination would be a joke if it wasn’t so deadly serious and every United States Senator who cares about the health of their constituents should oppose it,’ Brad Woodhouse, executive director of the advocacy group Protect Our Care, said in a statement.”

Inside Health Policy: RFK Jr., Trump’s Choice To Lead HHS, Sets Stage For Health Information War. 

  • ‘If RFK Jr. becomes Secretary of HHS, millions of American lives will be at risk. Full stop,” Brad Woodhouse, executive director of Protect Our Care, said in a statement. “The selection of Kennedy to lead HHS is a devastating choice for the health and well-being of the American people, especially children. The consequences of this nomination will touch nearly every household in the nation.’”

The Washington Post: Trump Taps Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Vaccine Skeptic, To Lead HHS. 

  • “‘If Trump gets his way, millions of Americans will lose access to critical care they need to stay healthy, disproportionately impacting people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, seniors, women, and people with disabilities,’ Leslie Dach and Brad Woodhouse, who lead Protect Our Care, a Democrat-aligned health-care advocacy group, wrote in a memo this month.”

The Guardian: RFK Jr Condemned As ‘Clear And Present Danger’ After Trump Nomination.

  • Donald Trump’s nomination of Robert F Kennedy Jr as US secretary of health and human services has prompted widespread criticisms towards Kennedy, an anti-vaccine activist who has embraced a slew of other debunked health-related conspiracy theories.Donald Trump’s nomination of Robert F Kennedy Jr as US secretary of health and human services has prompted widespread criticisms towards Kennedy, an anti-vaccine activist who has embraced a slew of other debunked health-related conspiracy theories.”
  • “In response to Kennedy’s nomination, Public Citizen, a progressive nonprofit organization focusing on consumer advocacy, said: ‘Robert F Kennedy Jr is a clear and present danger to the nation’s health. He shouldn’t be allowed in the building at the department of health and human services (HHS), let alone be placed in charge of the nation’s public health agency. ‘Donald Trump’s bungling of public health policy during the Covid pandemic cost hundreds of thousands of lives. By appointing Kennedy as his secretary of HHS, Trump is courting another, policy-driven public health catastrophe,” the organization added.”

Newsweek: RFK Jr. Appointment Leaves Doctors Aghast: ‘Extraordinarily Bad Choice’.

  • The appointment of vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to Donald Trump’s Cabinet as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) has left many doctors and medical professionals stunned, with one calling it an ‘extraordinarily bad choice.’
  • “Following the decision by the president-elect, many medical professionals were left aghast that a man who has previously been accused of amplifying conspiracy theories—most notably about the COVID vaccine—could potentially be in charge of the health of 350 million Americans from January if he is confirmed by the Senate. ‘I think this is an extraordinarily bad choice,’ Dr. Ashish Jha, a former Biden administration COVID-19 coordinator and the dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health, told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. Jha also noted that past HHS secretaries from both Republican and Democratic administrations have typically allowed scientists in their agencies to make decisions based on evidence. ‘RFK Jr. has signaled that he doesn’t intend to follow this approach,’ Jha said. ‘Instead of relying on rigorous analysis and evidence, he seems poised to prioritize his own views in decision-making.’

The New York Times: Trump Picks RFK Jr. to Be Head of Health and Human Services Dept.

  • “If he is confirmed, Mr. Kennedy would have sweeping control of a department with 80,000 employees across 13 operating divisions that run more than 100 programs. Its agencies regulate the food and medicine that Americans encounter in their daily lives, decide whether Medicare and Medicaid will pay for drugs and hospital treatments, guard against infectious disease, and conduct billions of dollars of medical research into diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s.”
  • “Many Democrats and public health experts were appalled by Mr. Trump’s selection. Dr. Richard E. Besser, the chief executive of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and a former acting director of the C.D.C., said that having Mr. Kennedy in the health secretary job ‘would pose incredible risks to the health of the nation,’ because Mr. Kennedy’s assault on the nation’s public health apparatus was worsening the mistrust lingering after the coronavirus pandemic. ‘Robert F. Kennedy is part of the problem and cannot be part of the solution,’ Dr. Besser said.”
  • “But Mr. Kennedy has spread false information about vaccines, including that they cause autism — a theory that has long been debunked. He has publicly contradicted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation that communities fluoridate their water to guard against tooth decay. He has embraced raw milk, despite the Food and Drug Administration’s warning that drinking it is risky, particularly amid a bird flu epidemic among dairy cows. And he has promoted hydroxychloroquine, a drug whose emergency authorization as a Covid-19 treatment was revoked by the Food and Drug Administration after a study of 821 people found it lacked effectiveness.”

The New York Post Editorial Board: Putting RFK Jr. In Charge Of Health Breaks The First Rule Of Medicine.

  • “The overriding rule of medicine is: First, do no harm. We’re certain installing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head Health and Human Services breaks this rule.”
  • “A radical, prolonged and confused transition ordered by a guy like RFK Jr., who will use his high office to spout his controversial beliefs, leaves a lot of room for things to go wrong — and for people to wind up harmed or even dead.
  • “Donald Trump won on promises to fix the economy, the border and soaring global disorder; his team needs to focus on delivering change on those fronts — not spend energy either having to defend crackpot theories or trying to control RFK Jr.’s mouth. We fear the worm that he claims ate some of his brain some years ago is contagious and there’s been an outbreak at Mar-a-Lago.”

KFF: Scientists Fear What’s Next for Public Health if RFK Jr. Is Allowed To ‘Go Wild’.

  • Many scientists at the federal health agencies await the second Donald Trump administration with dread as well as uncertainty over how the president-elect will reconcile starkly different philosophies among the leaders of his team.
  • If Kennedy makes good on his vision for transforming public health, childhood vaccine mandates could wither. New vaccines might never win approval, even as the FDA allows dangerous or inefficient therapies onto the market. Agency websites could trumpet unproven or debunked health ideas. And if Trump’s plan to weaken civil service rights goes through, anyone who questions these decisions could be summarily fired. ‘Never has anybody like RFK Jr. gotten anywhere close to the position he may be in to actually shape policy,’ said Lewis Grossman, a law professor at American University and the author of ‘Choose Your Medicine,’ a history of U.S. public health.”

NBC News: FDA Employees Consider How To Handle RFK Jr., Including Leaving.

  • Some staff members at the Food and Drug Administration are considering a quick exit as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is being floated as a potential health official in the incoming Trump administration, according to three former and one current government official who were granted anonymity to speak freely about sensitive issues. The former officials are still in touch with colleagues who work at the FDA.”
  • “It’s not yet known what kind of health role Kennedy will have in the administration — if any — but Trump has said he’ll let the former independent presidential candidate and vaccine skeptic ‘go wild on health.’ Meanwhile, Kennedy is promising a shakeup at the federal health agencies, including the FDA, telling NBC News the day after the election  that ‘in some categories, there are entire departments, like the nutrition department at the FDA that are, that have to go.’”

CNN: RFK Jr.’s To-Do List To Make America ‘ Healthy’ Has Health Experts Worried.

  • Kennedy’s official selection for the nation’s top health post sent shockwaves through the public health world, concerned about his potential effects on vaccination rates, research on infectious diseases and misrepresentation of established science.”
  • Advocates for public health did not mince words with their criticism. […] Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, told CNN before the election that he felt compelled to weigh in publicly on Kennedy’s views because of concerns about potential Trump policies and what he referred to as Kennedy’s ‘pseudoscience.’ ‘Everything that we see and know about what a Trump administration would look like would devastate public health in this country,’ said Osterholm, who noted that he’d served in a health policy role in every presidential administration since Ronald Reagan’s and thinks of himself as a ‘nonpartisan public health soldier.’”

STAT: Trump Taps RFK Jr. To Run HHS, Nominating Vaccine Skeptic For Nation’s Top Health Role.

  • “If confirmed, RFK Jr. will take the reins at a $1.7 trillion agency that oversees vaccines, medicines, scientific research, public health infrastructure, and the health care plans of Americans who rely on Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act’s markets. The directors of the Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, yet to be nominated, all report to the HHS secretary.”
  • Donna Shalala, who led HHS during the Clinton administration, called RFK Jr. ‘totally unqualified’ for the role. ‘This is a very dangerous appointment,’ she said. ‘He’s dangerous to people’s health in our country and around the world.’ Several health care advocacy groups stated that they opposed the nomination.”

PBS News: Trump Will Nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Who Has Promoted Vaccine Misinformation, As Health Secretary.

  • “Kennedy’s anti-vaccine nonprofit group, Children’s Health Defense, currently has a lawsuit pending against a number of news organizations, among them The Associated Press, accusing them of violating antitrust laws by taking action to identify misinformation, including about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines. Kennedy took leave from the group when he announced his run for president but is listed as one of its attorneys in the lawsuit.”

NPR: What Happens When A Vaccine Skeptic Leads Health Policy? Ask Florida.

  • “President-elect Trump says he’s going to let Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ‘go wild on health.’ That has many pediatricians nervous, because of RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine rhetoric. When another vaccine skeptic, Joseph Ladapo, became surgeon general in Florida, some doctors there say vaccine hesitancy got worse.”
  • “Vaccine hesitancy has been growing in Florida. When Ladapo was appointed in September of 2021, the routine childhood vaccination rate for kindergartners was 93.3%. It has now dropped to 90.6%. That’s the lowest rate in more than a decade — and it’s well below the threshold needed for herd immunity against highly contagious diseases like measles.”

The Washington Post: 10 RFK Jr. Conspiracy Theories And False Claims, In His Own Words.

  • The ascension of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist, to the nation’s top health post has alarmed medical experts, who point to his history of trafficking in conspiracy theories as disqualifying to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.”
  • Here are 10 false health claims Kennedy has publicly made over the years: What To Know. Kennedy has falsely linked vaccines to autism. Kennedy falsely called the coronavirus vaccine the ‘deadliest vaccine ever made’. Kennedy promotes raw milk, stem cells and other controversial or debunked medical treatments. Kennedy argues government employees have an interest in ‘mass poisoning’ the American public. Kennedy has falsely linked antidepressants to mass shootings. Kennedy incorrectly suggests AIDS may not be caused by HIV. Kennedy falsely argues children’s gender identity can be impacted by water. Kennedy has falsely touted ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine as effective covid treatments. Kennedy argued that covid-19 was ‘ethnically targeted’ to spare Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people. Kennedy claims 5G high-speed wireless network is used to ‘control our behavior’.”

Forbes: RFK Jr.’s Conspiracy Theories: Here’s What Trump’s Pick For Health Secretary Has Promoted.

  • “Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is now primed to take over as President-elect Donald Trump’s Secretary of Health and Human Services next year, drawing renewed scrutiny to a string of false claims he has helped spread over the better part of the past two decades. Kennedy Jr., a well-known environmental lawyer, veered into fringe theories the early 2000s when he began promoting conspiracies about vaccines and the 2004 presidential election—and many more have followed.

Axios: Trump Taps RFK Jr. For Health Secretary Position.

  • “Why it matters: Trump’s pick would put one of the nation’s foremost vaccine skeptics in charge of America’s health care agencies. Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again campaign’s proposals have already alarmed some public health experts. Trump posted on Truth Social that HHS under Kennedy would ‘play a big role in helping ensure that everybody will be protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming Health Crisis in this Country.’”

Politico: Trump To Select Robert F. Kennedy Jr. To Lead HHS.

  • Trump promised to let Kennedy ‘go wild’ with health and food policy in his administration after Kennedy dropped his own presidential bid to endorse the now-president-elect.”
  • “House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said it’s up to the Senate to confirm or reject Kennedy but was skeptical that he was the right choice. ‘Is RFK Jr. the best qualified person in the United States of America to lead us forward as we grapple with an enormous amount of health challenges in this country? The answer is clearly he is not,’ Jeffries said.”

CNN: Trump Picks Robert F. Kennedy Jr. To Be His Department Of Health And Human Services Secretary.

  • “Kennedy, who accepted the offer Thursday, has been one of the nation’s most prominent anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists for years and has frequently spread false conspiracy theories about the safety and efficacy of vaccines. He has been in Palm Beach, Florida, for several days following the election.”
  • “If confirmed as the top public health official in the country, Kennedy would oversee the operations of the Affordable Care Act, Medicare and Medicaid. […] Kennedy would also be involved in any changes Trump and congressional Republicans attempt to make to Medicaid, which provides health care coverage for low-income Americans. In Trump’s first term, the agency tried to institute work requirements, which was largely blocked in court, and lawmakers unsuccessfully sought to reduce the program’s funding. The program, which covers nearly 72.5 million Americans, is expected to be a target in Trump’s second term, especially as the GOP seeks savings to offset the tax relief they hope to implement.”

STAT: Trump’s Pick of RFK Jr. at HHS: The Scientific Community, And Biopharma Investors, Respond.

  • Industry veterans, investors, lab leaders, and others were in some cases shocked and deeply disillusioned by the announcement, while some insisted that Kennedy’s selection may not be the death knell for vaccines and evidence-based medicine that more pessimistic voices made the pick out to be.”
  • “‘I’m very concerned. I think at the minimum it will delay any kind of M&A until there’s clarity on the regulatory side, and clarity on whether there’s a chance of broader healthcare reform, including drug pricing,’ said another health care investor and portfolio manager of a biotech-focused fund, requesting anonymity.”

The Washington Post: Where RFK Jr. Could Go On Food Policy.

  • “But the notion of putting Kennedy, founder of a prominent anti-vaccine group, in a position to shape health policy has alarmed some federal health officials and public health experts, as well as the food industry. They worry about his stated desire to fire nutritionists at the Food and Drug Administration; his promotion of products and medicines the agency has previously warned against, such as raw milk and hydroxychloroquine; and his history of making debunked claims about vaccine safety.”
  • “On social media and talk shows, Kennedy repeatedly hammers the food industry, claiming it is ‘mass poisoning’ the American public. He has said Trump wants to ‘get the chemicals’ out of food. Kennedy has targeted McDonald’s fries and falsely claimed Froot Loops in Canada have just two or three ingredients. He has argued against consuming seed oils, though nutritionists push back against scientifically questionable claims that such oils are toxic. And he wants to bar food stamps from being used to buy soda or processed foods.”

STATEMENT: Trump’s Pick of RFK Jr. To Lead Department of Health and Human Services Will Put American Lives at Risk

An Anti-Vaccine Zealot and Conspiracy Theorist, Kennedy Poses a Threat to Health Care and Public Health 

Washington, D.C. – Today, Donald Trump took a devastating step towards undermining the health care of millions of Americans and the public health of our nation by nominating Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be the next Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy is an anti-vaccine zealot and conspiracy theorist with no experience or qualifications for any role in managing our nation’s health care, least of all leading the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy’s anti-vaccination beliefs alone could put millions of American lives at risk as vaccine skepticism has grown in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic – which was fueled by the very disinformation and conspiracy theories RFK Jr. has peddled for years.   

On the campaign trail this year alone, RFK Jr. endorsed dangerous anti-vaccination beliefs, spread baseless lies and conspiracy theories about fluoride in the water supply, and promised to stop research on drug development and infectious diseases for eight years. Recently, he proposed a plan that includes radical ideas like slashing funding for the Food and Drug Administration in half and firing over 600 people from the National Institutes of Health. Kennedy’s ideas are completely detached from reality and if he is confirmed, it would be a matter of life or death for countless Americans.

In response, Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse issued a statement:

“If RFK Jr. becomes Secretary of HHS, millions of American lives will be at risk. Full stop. The selection of Kennedy to lead HHS is a devastating choice for the health and well-being of the American people, especially children. The consequences of this nomination will touch nearly every household in the nation. Not only does he have a long history of pushing dangerous and outlandish anti-vaccine and other health-related conspiracy theories, but he will undoubtedly support MAGA efforts to increase health care costs and slash coverage by repealing the Affordable Care Act, slashing Medicaid and repealing measures to lower drug prices for seniors.

“The American people deserve a leader at HHS who believes in science, who believes in vaccines, and who is committed to building on the progress we have made since the passage of the Affordable Care Act – not someone who will put health care for millions at risk. To put it plainly, RFK Jr. is deeply unqualified, deeply unserious, and deeply dangerous. This nomination would be a joke if it wasn’t so deadly serious and every United States Senator who cares about the health of their constituents should oppose it.” 

Election Day 2024: Health Care Is on the Ballot

While Kamala Harris Wants to Lower Costs for Seniors and Working Families, Donald Trump Threatens to Throw the American Health Care System Into Chaos 

Election day is finally here, and the future of American health care is at stake. Vice President Kamala Harris has proven to be a health care champion throughout her career in public service. She has fought tirelessly to improve the health and well-being of people across the country. Harris voted time and time again to protect Americans’ health care, to ensure those with pre-existing conditions have access to affordable health care, and to lower costs for American families.

As Vice President, Harris casted the deciding vote to pass the Inflation Reduction Act. She is responsible for lowering prescription drug prices, lowering premium costs for millions of hardworking families, and capping insulin copays at $35 per month. As a senator from California, Harris has helped defeat Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and helped protect women’s rights. From day one, the Biden-Harris administration has fought tooth and nail to lower costs and make affordable health care a reality for seniors and families across the nation. Read more here: Kamala Harris Is a Health Care Champion. 

On the other hand, Donald Trump is an existential threat to American health care. MAGA Republicans have vowed to repeal the ACA and Inflation Reduction Act, slash Medicaid and Medicare funding, take away protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and raise prescription drug and premium costs. Under the MAGA agenda, millions of Americans will lose coverage and costs will skyrocket. Read more here: Donald Trump Is an Existential Threat to Our Health Care

The contrast could not be more clear:

That’s A Wrap: Protect Our Care’s “Lower Costs, Better Care” Bus Tour Traveled 12,000 Miles Across 17 States and Made Over 50 Stops

Over 70 Elected and Appointed Officials and Dozens of Health Advocates Drove Home the Contrast Between the Democratic and MAGA Visions for America’s Health Care

Over the last six weeks, Protect Our Care’s Care Force One bus drove almost 12,000 miles to make over 50 stops across 17 states to make sure Americans across the country understand that our health care is at stake. During each stop, national and local elected officials, health care advocates, and storytellers sounded the alarm about the threat Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans pose to American health care and celebrated the historic steps the Biden-Harris administration has taken to provide working families the quality, affordable care they need to stay healthy. 

Protect Our Care was joined by four senators, 22 representatives, one governor, five attorneys general, lieutenant governors and auditor generals, 39 local officials, and dozens of health care advocates. Headliners of the events included Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Representatives Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-09), Sanford Bishop (D-GA-02), Bobby Scott (D-VA-03), Paul Tonko (D-NY-20), Judy Chu (D-CA-28), Dina Titus (D-NV-01), Matt Cartwright (D-PA-08), Alma Adams (D-NC-12), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA-34), Susan Wild (D-PA-07), Angie Craig (D-MN-02), Mike Levin (D-CA-49), Chris Pappas (D-NH-01), Greg Stanton (D-AZ-04), Haley Stevens (D-MI-11), Melanie Stansbury (D-NM-01), Pat Ryan (D-NY-18), Yadira Caraveo (D-CO-08), Greg Landsman (D-OH-01), Brittany Pettersen (D-CO-07), Gabe Vasquez (D-NM-02), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), and Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers. 

Watch Video Highlights Here

DULUTH, MINNESOTA

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by Attorney General Keith Ellison, and health care advocates at Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth to to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Coverage:

Watch the event here and a video with Attorney General Keith Ellison here.

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, and health care advocates at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Coverage:

  • KMSP-TV (Fox-Minneapolis): Protect Our Care Kicks Off Nationwide Bus Tour Highlighting Inflation Reduction Act
  • KMSP (FOX-Minneapolis): Protect Our Care Bus Tour Kicks off with Advocates Fighting for Families To Pay Affordable Prices For Health Care

Watch the event here and personal videos with health care advocates Kathleen Oganovich here and Jessica Intermill here.

MADISON, WISCONSIN

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by Attorney General Josh Kaul, and health care advocates at Madison Labor Temple in Madison to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Coverage:

  • WISC (CBS): AG Kaul Headlines Healthcare Tour Stop
  • Spectrum News 1: Protect Our Care Bus Tour Coming to Wisconsin Today
  • WKOW (ABC-Madison): AG Kaul Advocates at POC Bus Tour
  • WQOW (ABC-La Crosse): AG Kaul, Health Care Advocates speak at POC Bus Tour Kickoff
  • Wisconsin Examiner: Advocacy groups put health care on the election year agenda
  • APG Media: Advocacy groups put health care on the election year agenda

Watch the event here, a video with Attorney General Josh Kaul here, and a personal video with health care advocate Samantha Crowley here.

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by Mayor Cavalier Johnson, and health care advocates at Sherman Phoenix in Milwaukee to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Coverage:

  • Spectrum News 1 (Wisconsin): Protect Our Care Brings Care Force One to Wisconsin As Part Of Nationwide Bus Tour
  • WisPolitics: “Protect Our Care: “Lower Costs, Better Care” bus tour makes stops in Madison and Milwaukee”

Watch the event here.

LANSING, MICHIGAN

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by State Representative Penelope Tsernoglou, and health care advocates at the Michigan Dept of Energy in Lansing to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Coverage:

  • MIRS: Rep. Tsernoglou, Former Michigan Community Health Director Headline “Lower Costs, Better Care” Bus Tour Stop in Lansing

Watch the event here.

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by health care advocates at Garfield Park in Grand Rapids to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Watch the event here.

TOLEDO, OHIO

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by City Council President Carrie Hartman, Lucas County Commissioners Pete Gerken and Lisa Sobecki, and health care advocates at the Lucas County Courthouse in Toledo to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Coverage:

  • The Blade: Local elected officials champion Affordable Care Act, Harris ahead of election

Watch the event here.

YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by Mayor Jamael Tito Brown, and health care advocates at Covelli Centre in Youngstown to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Coverage:

  • Mahoning Matters: Youngstown Mayor participating in ‘Lower Costs, Better Care’ bus tour stop this week
  • WFMJ: Care Force One rolled through Youngstown

Watch the event here.

GREENSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis, and health care advocates in Greensburg, Pennsylvania to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Coverage:

  • TribLive: Pa. Lt. Gov. Austin Davis stumps in Greensburg, touts Dems’ health care measures

Watch the event here and a video with Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis here.

ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by Representative Susan Wild (D-PA-07), and health care advocates at the IBEW Local 375 in Allentown to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Watch the event here and a video with Representative Susan Wild here.

HUDSON VALLEY, NEW YORK

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by Representative Pat Ryan (D-NY-18), and health care advocates at Academy Green Park in Kingston to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Coverage:

Watch the event here.

LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by Assembly Member Michaelle Solages, and health care advocates at Kennedy Park in Hempstead to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Coverage:

Watch the event here.

MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by Representative Chris Pappas (D-NH-01), and health care advocates at Victory Park in Manchester to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Watch the event here.

PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by State Senator Rebecca Perkins Kwoka, and health care advocates at the Love Mural in Prescott Park in Portsmouth to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Watch the event here.

RENSSELAER COUNTY, NEW YORK

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by U.S. Representative Paul Tonko (D-NY-20), Assemblymember Patricia Fahy, and health care advocates at Beman Park in Troy to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Watch the event here and a video with Representative Paul Tonko here.

UTICA, NEW YORK

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by U.S. Representative Paul Tonko (D-NY-20), and health care advocates at Character Coffee in Utica to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Coverage:

  • WKTV (NBC): Sen. John Mannion joins Lower Costs, Better Care Bus Tour
  • WKTV (NBC): Protect Our Care Bus Tour

Watch the event here.

WILKES-BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by Representative Matt Cartwright (D-PA-08), Mayor Harry Kelly, and health care advocates at the public square in Wilkes-Barre to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Watch the event here.

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by Representative Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), and health care advocates at Diversity Thrift in Richmond to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Coverage:

  • Virginia Mercury: National bus tour stops in Va., boosts Democrats’ promise to protect ACA, Inflation Reduction Act

Watch the event here and a personal video with health care advocate Rev. Dr. Lacette Cross here.

HARRISONBURG, VIRGINIA

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by Mayor Deanna Reed, and health care advocates at Ralph Sampson Park in Harrisonburg to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Coverage:

  • WSVA: Preview of Harrisonburg Bus Tour Stop
  • Rocktown Now:  ‘Protect Our Care’ tour stops in Harrisonburg
  • Q101: ‘Protect Our Care’ tour stops in Harrisonburg
  • Daily News-Record: Officials call on voters to protect healthcare

Watch the event here.

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by State Sen. Natalie Murdock, and health care advocates at Durham Central Park in Durham to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Watch the event here.

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by Representative Alma Adams (D-NC-12), and health care advocates at Charlotte Mecklenburg Government Center in Charlotte to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Watch the event here.

COLUMBUS, GEORGIA

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by Representative Sanford Bishop (D-GA-02), and health care advocates at The Bibb Mill Event Center in Columbus to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Coverage:

  • WRBL: Georgia democratic reps advocate for low-cost, better quality healthcare
  • Aol.com: Georgia democratic reps advocate for low-cost, quality healthcare
  • Yahoo.com: Georgia democratic reps advocate for low-cost, quality healthcare

Watch the event here and a video with Representative Sanford Bishop here.

ATHENS, GEORGIA

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by State Representative Spencer Frye, and health care advocates at Rashe’s Cuisine in Athens to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Coverage:

  • Athens Flagpole: Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff Will Campaign in Athens With Michael Stipe

Watch the event here.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by State Senator Sonya Halpern and State Representative Jasmine Clark, and health care advocates at IBEW Local 613 in Atlanta to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Coverage:

Watch the event here.

NORFOLK, VIRGINIA

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by Representative Bobby Scott (D-GA-03), and health care advocates at Teamsters Union Hall in Norfolk to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Watch the event here.

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-NM-1), and health care advocates at the Civic Plaza in Albuquerque, NM to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Watch the event here and a video with Representative Melanie Stansbury here.

LAS CRUCES, NEW MEXICO

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (D-NM-02), and health care advocates at Plaza de Las Cruces in Las Cruces, NM to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Coverage:

  • KVIA ABC El Paso: The “Lower Costs, Better Care” Bus Tour Campaigns to Keep the Affordable Care Act in Place
  • KRWG: Local leaders push to defend federal healthcare policies

Watch the event here and a video with Representative Gabe Vasquez here.

TUCSON, ARIZONA

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by Former State Sen. Kirsten Engel, and health care advocates at the YWCA in Tucson, AZ to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Watch the event here.

TEMPE, ARIZONA

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by U.S. Representative Greg Stanton (D-AZ-04), and health care advocates at City Hall in Tempe, AZ to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Coverage:

Watch the event here.

PHOENIX, ARIZONA

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), and health care advocates at the Arizona State Capitol Building in Phoenix, AZ to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Watch the event here.

PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by Palm Springs Councilmember Lisa Middleton and health care advocates at Ruth Hardy Park in Palm Springs, CA to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Coverage:

  • My News LA: Palm Springs Councilmembers Set to Attend Nonprofit Healthcare Summit

Watch the event here.

ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by U.S. Representative Mike Levin (D-CA-49), and health care advocates at Crown Valley Park Amphitheatre in Laguna Niguel, CA to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Coverage:

Watch the event here.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by Representatives Judy Chu and Jimmy Gomez, Attorney General Rob Bonta and health care advocates at El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument in Los Angeles to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Coverage:

Watch the event here.

BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by State Senator Anna Caballero, and health care advocates at Rasmussen Senior Center in Bakersfield to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Watch the event here.

RENO, NEVADA

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by Assemblywoman Natha Anderson, and health care advocates at Community Health Alliance in Reno to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Watch the event here.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by Representative Dina Titus, and health care advocates at SEIU Local 1107 in Las Vegas to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Watch the event here and a video with Representative Dina Titus here.

PUEBLO, COLORADO

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by The Honorable Lily Griego, and health care advocates at Pueblo Union Depot in Pueblo to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Watch the event here.

DENVER, COLORADO

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by Senator John Hickenlooper and Representatives Yadira Caraveo and Brittany Pettersen, and health care advocates at PipeFitters 208 in Denver to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Coverage:

  • Colorado Times Recorder: The ‘Lower Cost, Better Care’ Tour Visits Denver As Democrats Push Health Care & Abortion Rights

Watch the event here.

BURNSVILLE, MINNESOTA

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by Senator Amy Klobuchar and Congresswoman Angie Craig, state legislators, and health care advocates at the Dakota Child & Family Clinic in Burnsville, MN to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Coverage:

  • Red Lake Nation News: Senator Amy Klobuchar and Congresswoman Angie Craig Headline “Lower Costs, Better Care” Bus Tour Stop in Burnsville, Minnesota

Watch the event here and a personal video with health care advocate Alexis Stanley here.

ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by State Senator Liz Boldon, and health care advocates in Rochester, MN to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Coverage:

Watch the event here.

BELOIT, WISCONSIN

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, Governor Tony Evers, and health care advocates at Armstrong Park in Beloit, WI to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Coverage:

  • Beloit Daily News: Baldwin, Evers stop in Beloit to tout health care advances
  • MyStateline.com: Wisconsin: Baldwin, Hovde opposed on abortion rights, Affordable Health Care Act
  • WMTV: One week from Election Day, Wisconsin Senate candidates on campaign trail
  • WQRF (FOX): Senator Baldwin stops in Beloit to Discuss Affordable Healthcare, Abortion Rights

Watch the event here and a video with Senator Tammy Baldwin here.

KENOSHA, WISCONSIN

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by Governor Tony Evers, Former Congressman and Wisconsin Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, and health care advocates at Kenosha Union Club in Kenosha, WI to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Coverage:

  • WisPolitics: Protect Our Care: Evers headlines “Lower Costs, Better Care” bus tour stop in Kenosha, Wisconsin

Watch the event here.

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MICHIGAN

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by U.S. Representative Haley Stevens, and health care advocates at Congregational Church of Birmingham in Bloomfield Hills, MI to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Coverage:

Watch the event here and a video with Representative Haley Stevens here.

CINCINNATI, OHIO

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by U.S. Representative Greg Landsman, and health care advocates at Washington Park in Cincinnati, OH to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Watch the event here and a video with Representative Greg Landsman here.

CLEVELAND, OHIO

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by City Council President Blaine Griffin, and health care advocates at Willard Park in Cleveland, OH to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Watch the event here.

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by Former Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, State Representative Arvind Venkat, MD, and health care advocates at City/County Building Portico in Pittsburgh, PA to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Watch the event here and a video with Former Auditor General Eugene DePasquale here.

TOLEDO, OHIO

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by U.S. Representative Marcy Kaptur, and health care advocates at University of Toledo Medical Center in Toledo, OH to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Coverage:

  • WTVG: Congresswoman Kaptur to join Protect Our Care’s “Lower Costs, Better Care” bus tour
  • WTVG: Congresswoman Kaptur joins Protect Our Care’s “Lower Costs, Better Care” bus tour
  • WTOL: Congresswoman Kaptur focused on health care today and focused on the Affordable Care Act
  • WTVG: Congresswoman Kaptur stops to talk about lowering health care costs