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Republican senators have increasingly raised concerns about the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his dangerous views over lifesaving vaccine programs. RFK Jr. has said “there’s no vaccine that is safe and effective” and he helped fuel a devastating measles outbreak in Samoa that killed 83 people, mostly infants and children. Donald Trump recently said he would discuss ending childhood vaccination programs with RFK Jr. Additionally, one of RFK Jr.’s top transition team advisors openly called for the FDA to revoke the polio vaccine’s approval. More and more Republicans are becoming concerned about the dire ramifications of an RFK Jr.-led HHS, including top Republican leadership.

What Republican Senators Are Saying: 

• Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell issued a warning to Robert F. Kennedy saying, “Anyone seeking the Senate’s consent to serve in the incoming Administration would do well to steer clear of even the appearance of association with such efforts [revoking the polio vaccine’s approval]… Efforts to undermine public confidence in proven cures are not just uninformed — they’re dangerous.” [CBS News, 12/13/24]
• Senator Mike Rounds said in an interview, “Look, I believe in vaccines. I think they’ve saved millions of lives… If he has a different point of view, then he’ll have to explain them to us.” [The Washington Post, 11/20/24]
• Senator John Cornyn stated it clearly when asked about his concerns with RFK Jr.’s vaccine stances, “I realize Covid got to be pretty controversial, but vaccinations are an important part of our public health, starting with the requirement that kids get vaccinations before they go to school.” [Politico, 12/10/24]
• Senator Lisa Murkowski told the Independent explicitly, “I happen to believe particularly childhood vaccines are something really important… As a parent, I want to make sure that I protect my kids from measles or mumps or rubella or whatever it is…” [The Independent, 11/23/24]
• A former top staffer told Axios that Senator Bill Cassidy is “balancing what’s good for his reelection against his health care expertise, including what Kennedy would do if there is another pandemic… When asked if he thought the 2026 race would impact how Cassidy approaches Kennedy, [Mitt] Romney said, ‘I don’t think in his case, no.’” [Axios, 12/6/24]
• Senator Roger Marshall, an OB/GYN, chose not to answer a question on whether RFK Jr.’s promotion of health misinformation would affect his support for the HHS nominee, instead saying, “I think it’s a long answer, and I’m late for a meeting, so I’m not going to give you an answer.” [The Independent, 11/23/24]

What Health Experts Are Saying

• A group of 77 Nobel laureates signed a letter urging Congress to reject RFK Jr. stating, “The leader of [HHS] should continue to nurture and improve – not threaten – these highly respected institutions and their employees… placing Mr Kennedy in charge of [HHS] would put the public’s health in jeopardy and undermine America’s global leadership in health sciences, in both public and commercial sectors.” [The Guardian, 12/10/24]
• James Hodge, a public health law expert at Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, put RFK Jr.’s potential reign over HHS succinctly in an interview stating, “The litany of things that will start to topple is profound… We’re going to experience a seminal change in vaccine law and policy.” [North Carolina Health News, 12/14/24]
• The executive director of the American Public Health Association, Georges Benjamin, has warned that RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine will harm children the most saying, “The reason we think Mr. Kennedy is the wrong guy for the Secretary of Health and Human Services is we do not think that somebody who has been the source of so much death and disability amongst the nation’s children should have any seed of prominence in the health world.” [The Hill, 12/14/24]
• Former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb warned that a Kennedy-run HHS disincentivizing or creating barriers to vaccine access “will cost lives in this country… For every 1,000 cases of measles that occur in children, there will be one death.” [Reuters, 12/12/24]

What Republican’s Constituents Are Saying

• Brent Sherard, the former director of the Wyoming Department of Health and a constituent of John Barrasso expressed his frustration with any support for RFK in a letter to the editor stating, “In a recent political ad, Dr. Barrasso proudly claims to be “Wyoming’s Doctor.” If he truly holds that title, why would he support someone like RFK Jr., who has consistently spread misinformation about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines… The stakes are too high to endorse someone who could potentially undermine our entire vaccination program.” [Cowboy State Daily, 11/26/24]
• George Bishop Jr. lives in Louisiana and is represented by two Republican Senators. He writes about the RFK Jr. nomination, “RFK Jr. has no experience or expertise in health care, medicine or public policy, but he does have opinions not tied to real data. His appointment reflects Trump’s lack of concern for the American people, who he repeatedly told that the COVID virus would just go away. It hasn’t, and a key reason is low vaccination rates by people who listen to RFK Jr. and Donald Trump.” [New Orleans Advocate, 12/16/24]

Watch the New Digital Ad Here.

Washington, D.C. – On Monday, December 16, 2024, Protect Our Care’s “Stop RFK War Room” is launching a multi-media campaign across key states to call on senators to oppose Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The campaign features paid ads and 18 billboards in seven states on Monday as RFK Jr. is set to meet with at least 20 Republican senators as part of the confirmation process. Throughout the week, Protect Our Care will be releasing new research and polling in addition to hosting events with advocates and experts to highlight RFK Jr.’s danger to the American people. 

The “Stop RFK War Room” is focusing its events and activities on the following senators: Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Charles Grassley (R-IA), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Susan Collins (R-ME), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Mike Rounds (R-SD), John Cornyn (R-TX), John Curtis (R-UT), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Jim Justice (R-WV).

“America’s health is in deep peril if RFK Jr. is confirmed,” said Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse. “If RFK Jr. gets his way, every American will be put at risk. He believes no vaccine is safe or effective and wants to decimate funding for research into treatments and cures His beliefs could lead to a deadly resurgence of preventable childhood illnesses like polio and measles. RFK Jr. doesn’t have the experience and skills to run major health care programs like Medicare and Medicaid that over 125 million Americans rely on for their health care. We’re working to make sure every senator understands the catastrophic consequences of this nomination that will touch nearly every household in the nation.”

Ad Script:

Narrator: Robert F Kennedy Jr. is no health care leader. He’s a threat to your family’s health. RFK Jr. spreads deadly lies about vaccines, calling them unsafe and ineffective. His conspiracy theories fueled a measles outbreak in Samoa, killing 83 people, mostly babies and toddlers.

CNN Clip: RFK went and rallied that country against vaccinations. It resulted in the deaths of 83 innocent children. 

Narrator: Now he’s been nominated to oversee America’s health care system – Medicare, Medicaid, vaccines, research. The health of every American is at stake. 

RFK Jr.: There’s no vaccine that is, you know, safe and effective. 

Narrator: He’d defund life-saving research and drug development, gut the FDA, let diseases like polio and measles resurge. This isn’t leadership. It’s a death sentence. Tell your Senators: reject RFK Jr. He’s not just unfit, he’s dangerous.

Billboards:

The billboards will appear in:

Boise, ID
Baton Rouge, LA
New Orleans, LA
Charlotte, NC
Greensboro, NC
Sioux Falls, SD
Rapid City, SD
Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
Huntington, WV

***FRIDAY DECEMBER 13, 2024 AT 1:30 PM CT // 2:30 PM ET***

Tax Credits at Risk of Expiring, Meaning Health Care Costs Could Rise for Millions of Americans

WISCONSIN – Today, Friday, December 13th at 1:30 PM CT // 2:30 PM ET, Senator Tammy Baldwin and Wisconsin enrolled in the ACA marketplace will join Protect Our Care Wisconsin to promote the open enrollment period – Sunday is the deadline to secure marketplace coverage that takes effect January 1st.

Speakers will also discuss the urgent need for Congress to stop Republican premium hikes. During this Affordable Care Act (ACA) open enrollment period Wisconsinites will continue to save thousands of dollars on their health care thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act’s enhanced premium tax credits. Thanks to these savings passed by the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress, a record number of Wisconsinites enrolled in ACA Marketplace plans in 2024. But, these tax credits are set to expire at the end of 2025.

Millions of Americans are depending on lower premiums. According to a new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, if Republicans in Congress do not take action to extend the Inflation Reduction Act’s savings, an estimated 61,000 Wisconsinites will see their premiums increase.

PRESS CALL

WHO:
U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley
Jane B., NE Wisconsin resident

WHAT: Virtual Press Conference

WHEN: Friday, December 13th at 1:30 PM CT // 2:30 PM ET

WHERE: Register for the Zoom here [Registration required]

Washington, D.C. — In an interview with Time Magazine, Donald Trump confirmed he is open to working with RFK Jr. to end lifesaving vaccination programs for children. When asked if he would approve of RFK Jr.’s efforts to end childhood vaccination programs, Trump said he would be open to investigating a disproven conspiracy theory linking vaccines to autism: “We’re going to have a big discussion. The autism rate is at a level that nobody ever believed possible. If you look at things that are happening, there’s something causing it.” In response, Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse issued the following statement: 

“These statements by Donald Trump prove just how dangerous Robert F Kennedy Jr. is to the American health care system. If RFK Jr. gets his way and stops or impedes childhood vaccination programs, it will lead to a resurgence of illnesses like polio and measles. People will die. The idea of ditching already settled science by ending childhood vaccinations is extremely disturbing and affirms that RFK Jr. should never be confirmed to any position related to our nation’s health care, especially Secretary of HHS.”

Reuters: Trump to Discuss Ending Childhood Vaccination Programs with RFK Jr.

By Tim Reid and Michael Erman // December 12, 2024

The Devastating Events That Followed RFK Jr.’s Visit to Samoa in 2019 Could Be a Preview of What’s to Come Under His Leadership at HHS

Kennedy with anti-vaccine activists Edwin Tamaese and Taylor Winterstein in June 2019
[Photo: Children’s Health Defense]

RFK Jr’s anti-vaccine efforts in Samoa played a direct role in the deaths of 83 people, mostly children, during a measles outbreak in 2019. In 2018 and early 2019, Children’s Health Defense, an RFK Jr.-led organization, made posts on Facebook undermining the safety of vaccines and paid for Kennedy’s trip to Samoa where he spread anti-vaccine rhetoric in meetings with government officials and other anti-vaccine activists. The vaccine misinformation, which was directly tied to Kennedy’s visit, was detrimental to the Samoan government’s efforts to contain the measles outbreak.The World Health Organization estimated that in 2018, only 31 percent of infants in Samoa received the measles vaccine, a drop from 60 to 70 percent in previous years. Samoa now requires compulsory vaccination of children before starting primary school and measles vaccine rates have risen to 95 percent.

The Timeline:

2018

• Two children in Samoa died after receiving their MMR vaccine. Two nurses improperly mixed the vaccines with a liquid muscle relaxant instead of water. The nurses were sentenced to five years in prison for manslaughter.
• RFK Jr’s Children’s Health Defense posted on Facebook questioning the safety of measles vaccines.
• The World Health Organization estimated that in 2018, only 31 percent of infants in Samoa received the measles vaccine, a drop from 60 to 70 percent in previous years.
• RFK Jr’s Children’s Health Defense never updated the public about the true cause of the babies’ deaths.

2019

• While vaccination rates were dropping, Kennedy traveled to Samoa in June 2019, meeting with the Prime Minister and other government officials. The trip had been arranged by a prominent Samoan anti-vaccine activist, and paid for by Children’s Health Defense. RFK Jr. appeared with government officials and local anti-vaccine activists.
• The measles outbreak began in September 2019.
• A state of emergency was declared in November 2019, closing all schools, keeping children under 17 away from public events, and mandating vaccines.
• The anti-vaccine activists with ties to Kennedy used misinformation and harsh rhetoric to oppose the government’s efforts in containing the outbreak.
• By January 22, 2020, 5,707 measles cases and 83 measles-related deaths were reported. 87 percent of the reported deaths were children younger than 5 years.

Kennedy, Who is Scheduled to Meet With 20 Senators Next Week, Is A Threat To Our Health and Unfit To Lead Health & Human Services

Anti-vaccination conspiracy theories have deadly consequences. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Donald Trump’s nominee for the next Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has a long track-record of peddling dangerous conspiracies around public health – views he will have to answer for in meetings with Senators next week. The devastating events that followed his visit to Samoa in 2019 could be a preview of what’s to come with Kennedy at the reins of our nation’s public health care system. Samoan doctors and nurses directly link a devastating measles outbreak that killed 83 people, primarily infants and children, to the false information about vaccines Kennedy spread during his visit.

“The American people deserve a leader at HHS who believes in science, who believes in vaccines, and who is committed to lowering costs and protecting health care coverage,” said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach. “Kennedy will not trust the science and the experts, but he will instead continue his campaign of pushing dangerous misinformation. Not only does Kennedy oppose lifesaving vaccines, but he has said that he ‘does not believe that infectious disease is an enormous threat to human health’ and pledged to stop funding research for treatments and cures. Kennedy will erode the public health institutions that keep Americans safe from infectious diseases and contaminated food, and he will put vital programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, at grave risk. The effects of Kennedy leading HHS would threaten every household in the nation.” 

But don’t just take our word for it:

Aiono Professor Alec Ekeroma, Samoa’s Director General of Health: “We cannot and should not stay silent. We know what this appointment means. It means more platforms for anti-vaxxers and less funding for vaccines and health programmes. It must be treated as a threat to our health security.” [The Guardian, 11/25/24]

Hawaii Governor and ER Doctor Josh Green: “As both a physician and Governor, I’ve seen the devastating effects of misinformation about vaccines. During a measles outbreak in Samoa, RFK Jr.’s rhetoric led to widespread fear, causing many to avoid vaccinations. Tragically, 83 innocent children lost their lives.”  [X, 11/15/24]

• “We were in Samoa… in the aftermath of RFK Jr. going through that country and discouraging its people, scaring them, from being vaccinated… 83 children had just died and over 5,000 cases of measles that we diagnosed had been spread through the country. It was a disaster and it was caused in large part by RFK Jr. He is a terrible pick for HHS secretary and if he does become our lead health official in the country, you’re going to see outbreaks like this in rural communities and cities across America.” [MSNBC, 12/1/24]

Moelagi Leilani Jackson, Samoan Nurse:  People who worked on the Samoan measles response told the Associated Press that the credibility RFK Jr. gave to anti-vaccine forces when he met with them had an impact. Moelagi Leilani Jackson, a Samoan nurse who worked on the vaccination campaign to stem the measles outbreak, said she remembered that after Kennedy’s visit, the anti-vaccine influencers “got louder.” “I feel like they felt they had the support of Kennedy. But I also think that Kennedy was very – well, he came in and he left and other people picked up the pieces.”

Pediatrician Paul Offitt, Member of a FDA Advisory Committee on Vaccines and Director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia:  “In Samoa, there were two children that died immediately following receipt of a measles vaccine… Now, very quickly, within two weeks, it was realized what that mistake was. It was a nursing error. But, nonetheless, RFK Jr. seized on that. He flooded Facebook with information that the measles vaccine is killing children in Samoa. He went to Samoa. He met with anti-vaccine activists. He met with senior officials in Samoa and kept the drumbeat alive that the measles vaccine was killing children in Samoa. As a consequence, vaccination rates fell from 70 percent to 30 percent. And between September and December of 2019, there was a massive measles epidemic. In this island nation of 200,000 people, there were 57,000 cases of measles and 83 deaths. Most of those deaths were in children less than four years of age. And Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had everything to do with that. And that shows you how disinformation can kill.” [PBS NewsHour, 7/20/23]

Helen Petousis-Harris, Vaccinologist and Co-Director of the Global Vaccine Data Network: “The Samoan establishment handled the whole situation really badly and did not take the support and advice that was provided to them at the time, which is what allowed this to unravel and let RFK get in there. When you get people who are wealthy and influential going into a fragile setting, it’s like the top of the food chain visiting and meeting up with those who act as the megaphone. The impact was devastating.” [The Guardian, 11/25/24]

• The crisis of low vaccination rates and skepticism created an environment that was “ripe for the picking for someone like RFK to come in and assist with the promotion of those views.”  Petousis-Harris recalled that local and regional anti-vaccine activists took their cues from Kennedy, whom she said “sits at the top of the food chain as a disinformation source.” “They amplified the fear and mistrust, which resulted in the amplification of the epidemic and an increased number of children dying. Children were being brought for care too late.” [AP, 10/18/23]

Dr. Dan Holmes, Australian Physician: “Your day might start at 6am with a baby who is unconscious and not breathing, and you might lose that baby, then there’s another one, day after day. It’s impacted me more than anything I’ve done. It makes me feel so angry that it could have been prevented.” [The Guardian, 11/25/24]

Brian Deer, Journalist: “I was in Samoa during that outbreak as part of my more than 16 years of reporting on the anti-vaccine movement. The cause of the outbreak was not the vaccine, but most likely an infected traveler… Migration and poverty were likely factors in a sudden spread of measles in Samoa and New Zealand. But, as an editorial in The New Zealand Medical Journal reported, so too was a factor that Mr. Kennedy specializes in: ‘increasing circulation of misinformation leading to distrust and reduced vaccination uptake.’ Samoa’s vaccination rates had fallen to fewer than a third of eligible 1-year-olds. Vaccine skepticism has ballooned worldwide, and Mr. Kennedy and others who back him have encouraged it. Americans may be well aware that their possible future health leader holds dangerous beliefs about vaccines. The consequences of his views — and those of his orbit — are not merely absurd but tragic.” [The New York Times, 11/25/24]

Washington D.C. — As Congress continues to negotiate a health care package, new reporting indicates that Republicans have rejected Democrats’ proposal to extend the Inflation Reduction Act’s enhanced premium tax credits for one year. These tax credits, which lowered the cost of health care for millions of people purchasing coverage on their own, are set to expire at the end of 2025. If Congress fails to act, an estimated 5 million Americans would become uninsured and costs would skyrocket for millions more. In response, Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse issued the following statement: 

“It’s shameful Republicans are rejecting a commonsense proposal to protect affordable health care for millions of Americans. The folks relying on these tax credits include small business owners, people living in rural areas, farmers, people with pre-existing conditions, and older adults. Instead of fighting to keep costs low for middle-class families, Republicans are working overtime to dole out more tax breaks to their wealthy friends on Wall Street. If these tax credits do expire, Republicans will own this premium hike for middle-class families and the coverage losses for millions that come with it.”

Washington, D.C. — In an interview with NBC News, Donald Trump confirmed he is open to repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) once he’s back in office. He called the ACA “lousy health care” and repeated lies about his administration’s record, claiming he made the ACA “as good as we can make it.” In reality, the Trump administration sabotaged health care at every turn, costs skyrocketed, and millions lost their coverage. 

The news comes as Republicans are eyeing devastating Medicaid cuts to fund more tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans. At the same time, Trump’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency is working behind the scenes to cut Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. In response to Trump’s latest attacks on health care, Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse issued the following statement: 

“We’ve been saying this all along: American health care is in grave danger under Donald Trump. He will stop at nothing to repeal and sabotage the Affordable Care Act, which means health care for millions of families is in jeopardy. Trump’s lie that he made the ACA better is nothing short of preposterous. During his first term, he tried every trick possible to sabotage the ACA after repeal failed. Let’s be clear: repealing the ACA is not just about covering more than 40 million Americans, but it also means ripping away protections for people with pre-existing conditions, imposing an ‘age tax’ on older Americans, and putting big insurance companies back in charge.  

“This has always been personal for Trump — he wants to get back at John McCain and Barack Obama and other political enemies — but we know the Republican party will follow him to the bitter end. And they will not stop at the ACA. His allies are already looking to cut Medicare and Medicaid to fund tax breaks for their wealthy friends. The cat is out of the bag, and now we know Republicans have never given up on their war on health care.” 

If The Affordable Care Act Is Repealed:

• GONE: Protections for more than 100 million Americans with pre-existing conditions, including 54 million people with a pre-existing condition that would make them completely uninsurable.
• GONE: Medicaid expansion, which covers about 21 million people. 
• GONE: Quality, affordable coverage for over 21.4 million people who buy insurance on their own.
• GONE: Lower prescription drug prices for over 54.5 million seniors who would have to pay more for prescription drugs because the Medicare ‘donut hole’ will be reopened.
• GONE: Critical funding for rural hospitals. 
• GONE: Lower costs and better care for more than 67 million people on Medicare who will face disruptions to their medical care.
• GONE: Coverage for 2.3 million adult children who are on their parents’ insurance.
• GONE: Ban on insurance companies being able to charge women more than men
• GONE: Ban on insurance companies having annual and lifetime caps on coverage.
• GONE: Requirements that insurance companies cover prescription drugs and maternity care.

Republicans Must Act Now To Stop Millions From Losing Health Care Coverage

Washington, DC – Democrats have sent a proposal to Republicans to include a one-year extension of the enhanced premium tax credits in a year-end bill. These tax credits, passed in the Inflation Reduction Act, lowered the cost of health care for millions of people purchasing coverage on their own but are set to expire at the end of 2025.

The Hill reported earlier this week Republicans had sent an offer as part of the steps towards a wider health care package. Today, Axios and the Washington Post reported Democrats’ counteroffer also includes extensions for expiring programs, such as community health center funding and telehealth for Medicare. According to actuarial firm, Oliver Wyman, 5 million Americans would become uninsured if the tax credits expired. Unless Congress acts now, costs will go up for millions of people, including small business owners, people living in high-cost rural areas, farmers, people with pre-existing conditions, older adults, and more.

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

“If Congress fails to act, premiums will skyrocket and millions will lose their health insurance. Health care will become out of reach for millions of Americans, leaving middle-class families to struggle and choose between seeing a doctor, keeping a roof over their heads, or groceries in the fridge. It is up to Republicans to come to the table and extend the Inflation Reduction Act’s enhanced premium tax credit so hardworking families don’t have to worry about going bankrupt over an injury or an illness. Democrats stand ready to extend the tax credits to ensure everyone has access to affordable health care. It’s time for Republicans to put the needs of working families ahead of the needs of Wall Street executives.”