News

The “Health Care Sabotage Tracker” Will Monitor Republicans’ Ongoing Efforts to Undermine American Health Care

View the Trump Sabotage Tracker Here

Washington, D.C. – Today, Protect Our Care is relaunching the “Health Care Sabotage Tracker” to monitor the Trump administration’s efforts to raise costs and rip away health care from the American people. The Trump administration and its Republican allies are hellbent on gutting our health care laws, putting Medicaid on the chopping block, raising the costs of health insurance and prescription drugs, ripping coverage from millions, dismantling protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions – all to pay for tax breaks for big corporations and the wealthiest Americans. 

“Donald Trump has spent his first weeks in office resuming his war on health care,” said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach. “Trump and his allies have once again made clear that they will stop at nothing to rip away Americans’ health care, from putting Medicaid on the chopping block to revoking orders that bring down costs for hardworking families and halting funding for life-saving medical research. Republican attacks on Americans’ health care are as extreme as they are unpopular, and we must do everything we can to stop him from wreaking havoc on this country’s health care system.”

Just in the last few weeks, Trump and his administration have removed clinical practice data and public health data from HHS websites, revoked Biden administration orders that helped protect and strengthen coverage while lowering prescription drug costs, and withdrew the United States from the World Health Organization. Protect Our Care will continue to monitor all of the ways Donald Trump targets health care and update the “Health Care Sabotage Tracker” over the next four years.

Leading Medical Professionals and Experts Call Out RFK Jr.’s Dangerous Views

Last week, RFK Jr. had two disastrous hearings with Congress where he repeatedly refused to acknowledge that vaccines do not cause autism, failed to answer basic questions about our health care system, and lied to cover up his long history of pushing conspiracy theories. This is no surprise – for years, Kennedy has fueled disinformation and conspiracy theories about vaccinations that have had deadly consequences. He also 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. It is clear that Kennedy’s nomination poses a grave threat to the health and well-being of the American people. Under his leadership, more people will get sick and more people will die. But don’t just take our word for it:

Dr. Dara Kass, Emergency Medicine, Former HHS Regional Director: “As a former HHS regional director, I know firsthand the importance of what HHS does. HHS is responsible for approving medicines, overseeing vaccines, funding life-saving research, and coordinating responses — everything from pandemics to natural disasters. If RFK Jr. is put in charge of America’s health care system, healthy and immunocompromised people alike will get sick and die.” [The New York Daily News, 1/29/25]

Dr. Angela Rasmussen, Virologist: “The devastating impacts of such failures across HHS will not be limited to America, since pandemics transcend national borders. Any suppression of effective public health policy by Kennedy will exacerbate economic, agricultural, ecological, and medical ruin at home and abroad. Anywhere from thousands to millions could die as a direct result.” [Foreign Policy, 1/30/25]

Dr. Craig Spencer, Emergency Medicine: “When people tell you who they are, believe them. Despite what he said today, we know what he said over the past two decades, over the past two years, even over the past two months. We all have concerns about what he has said and what he has linked and said about the vaccines, including COVID vaccines, other vaccines that I give my children, that I recommend to other children and that have saved more lives than any other public health intervention in history.” [CNN, 1/29/25]

Dr. Neil Stone, Infectious Diseases: “RFK and his fans ‘just want to question science’ If you question something for which theres overwhelming evidence you ignore- it’s not ‘questioning the science’. It’s denying it. If you question that the holocaust happened you are not just  ‘questioning history’. You deny it.” [X, @DrNeilStone, 1/30/25]

Dr. Thomas K. Lew, Hospital Medicine: “Within his first couple of weeks, President Trump is dismantling public health efforts that benefit so many Americans. I am concerned with his choice of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, and his even more outlandish choice of Dr. Mehmet Oz to lead Medicare and Medicaid. More trouble – and less sympathy for our sick – is on the way. These two have shown unserious, anti-science, anti-public-health tendencies.” [USA Today, 1/31/25]

Dr. Uché Blackstock, Emergency Medicine: “Masks off. This is biological essentialism. This is racist and wrong. RFK Jr.‘s response alone should be disqualifying for an HHS secretary.” [X, 1/31/25]

Dr. Andrea Love, Immunologist: “RFK Jr & his kids are vaccinated. Because he knows vaccines are safe & effective. Yet he makes millions of dollars causing preventable illness & death by telling other people vaccines are harmful.” [X, @dr_andrealove, 1/29/25]

Dr. Garrett Adams, Pediatrics: “Kennedy’s comments and positions reflect an anti-science attitude. He has no scientific training and he doesn’t understand or respect science. With this mindset he cannot possibly work with HHS personnel and make sound decisions for the department.” [The Louisville Courier Journal, 1/28/25]

Dr. Georges Benjamin, Internal Medicine: “He is an environmental lawyer whose training and experience is inadequate for this position. This was evident when he showed he was unprepared as a witness and unable to answer the most fundamental questions about health and health policy. This was not clever political question dodging. His answers to most questions were confusing and showed little grasp of the factual material required for this position. While the HHS secretary does not have to be an epidemiologist, the person in the position should  possess the basic intellectual curiosity and drive to hit the ground running.” [STAT, 1/31/25]

Dr. Gail Ahumada, Cardiologist: “I am afraid that Kennedy’s widely publicized anti-vaccine stances may discourage vaccinations to the point that polio returns. This is a catastrophe-in-waiting.” [St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 1/31/25]

PA State Rep. Tarik Khan, Family Nurse Practitioner: “My objection to RFK Jr.’s nomination is not about partisan politics – as an elected official, I understand that President Donald Trump should be able to nominate someone who shares his ideology. However, as a nurse practitioner, I know that when it comes to protecting people’s health, the first rule is ‘Do No Harm.’ RFK Jr. has a long track record of promoting harm. If he is confirmed, his directorship will threaten the health of the American public.” [City & State, 1/30/25]

Linda Vail, Microbiologist, Former Ingham County Health Officer: “HHS is an agency designed to “improve the health, safety, and well-being of America.” Leaving this important department in the hands of someone who opposes vaccines would put Michiganders and our fellow Americans in danger of a deadly resurgence of illnesses like polio and measles. The risk is real.” [The Gander, 1/29/25]

Watch the New Digital Ad Here.

Washington, D.C. – Today, Protect Our Care’s “Stop RFK War Room” is releasing a new digital ad calling on senators to oppose Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). These ads come ahead of the Senate Finance Committee’s vote to advance his nomination to the Senate floor. Last week, RFK Jr. had two disastrous hearings with Congress where he repeatedly refused to acknowledge that vaccines do not cause autism, failed to answer basic questions about our health care system, and lied to cover up his long history of pushing conspiracy theories. 

The ads will run nationally and in key states of Republican Senators including Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Mike Rounds (R-SD), John Curtis (R-UT) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

“RFK Jr.’s confirmation hearings confirmed what we already knew: America’s health is in deep peril if he becomes HHS Secretary,” said Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse. “During both hearings, RFK Jr. exposed himself as the liar, grifter, and conspiracy theorist he is and has always been. RFK Jr. spent hours lying and attempting to erase his history of anti-vaccine extremism and downplay his career built on pushing misinformation. He couldn’t even explain the basics of Medicare and Medicaid – bedrock programs that provide millions of American families with affordable health care. He is reckless, dangerous, untrustworthy, and wholly unqualified to lead this country’s health care system. Senators on both sides of the aisle must come together to reject RFK Jr.’s nomination.”

Ad Script:

Narrator: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a choice: tell the truth about vaccines or double down on his dangerous lies. 

Sen. Bill Cassidy: Will you reassure mothers unequivocally and without qualification that the measles and hepatitis B vaccines do not cause autism? 

RFK Jr.: If the data is there.

Narrator: The data is there. The science is clear but RFK Jr. refuses to accept the truth.

Sen. Maggie Hassan: And when you continue to sow doubt about settled science, it makes it impossible for us to move forward.

Narrator: RFK Jr. isn’t just wrong – he’s dangerous. His vaccine lies helped fuel deadly outbreaks. His name alone was enough to make parents afraid to protect their kids 

Sen. Ed Markey: So your name and your profile helped fuel a measles outbreak. You scared people from taking a vaccine. It slowed the public health response and children died. 

Narrator: Tell your Senator: vote no on RFK Jr. We can’t risk him running HHS.

Learn more about Protect Our Care’s “Hands Off Medicaid” campaign here.

From California to New York, Democratic lawmakers and health care advocates joined Protect Our Care to tell Republicans to tell Congress that Medicaid cuts must be off the table as Republicans negotiate a budget reconciliation package. Republicans want to slash Medicaid funding in order to pay for their tax giveaways for the ultra-wealthy and big corporations, even though over two-thirds of Democrats, Republicans, and independents are opposed to Medicaid cuts. 

Medicaid is the largest health insurance program in the country, providing health care to more than 70 million Americans. Cuts to the program would mean ripping away health care from millions of families who count on it, including kids, moms, seniors, people of color, rural Americans, workers whose employers don’t provide health insurance, and people with disabilities. The consequences of any cuts to Medicaid would touch nearly every household in America. 

NATIONAL HEADLINES

Bloomberg: Republicans Want the Poor to Pay for Trump’s Tax Cuts

• There are a lot of known unknowns about exactly how Republicans will approach the major tax and spending issues facing the new Congress. But one thing is clear: Low-income Americans are going to be in the crosshairs. A “menu” of potential cuts developed by House Republicans proposes somewhere north of $5 trillion in spending reductions, the vast majority coming out of the pockets of the most vulnerable. The biggest item on the list is $2.3 trillion in proposed Medicaid cuts.

Salon: Republican Plans to Cut Medicaid Could Cost 22 Million Americans Their Health Care

• Even changes short of elimination could kick many people off the program. According to an analysis of proposed cuts from the Democratic National Committee, shared with Salon, proposals to curb Medicaid expansion alone — which extends coverage to Americans with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty line — could drive nearly 22 million people off the program.

The Hill: Democrats: Americans’ Health on the Line if Medicaid Scaled Back

• “The state-by-state breakdown shows that gutting the program would involve decimating rural communities across the country,” the analysis reads. Ten states have not expanded Medicaid, as is allowed under the Affordable Care Act. 

New York Times: House G.O.P. Floats Medicaid Cuts and More to Finance Trump’s Huge Agenda

• One option floated by the committee would try to undercut the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion, which led to a ballooning in program enrollment. It would reduce the share of Medicaid costs the federal government pays for, increasing the burden on states.

IN THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

• Politico: A Healthy Spend

Friday, January 31 – Medicaid Event with Representative Judy Chu and Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula: US Rep Judy Chu and patient advocate Naida Tushnet joined Protect Our Care CA to discuss the GOP’s plan to slash trillions from Medicaid. “Medicaid is a lifeline for more than 80M Americans including more than 14M on Medi-Cal in California. It’s a crucial safety net for people of all ages,” said Congressmember Chu. “But President Trump and Republicans are determined to slash Medicaid funding in order to pay for tax cuts for billionaires and big corporations…In fact the Trump administration issued a disastrous memo earlier this week instructing federal agencies to pause all federal funding which resulted in all 50 states getting locked out of their Medicaid portal. Thank goodness this order was blocked by a federal judge and later rescinded, but we must stay vigilant.” You can view the full event here, and learn more about the GOP threat to Medicaid here. 

IDAHO

Thursday, January 30—Medicaid Defense Event with Idaho State Senator James Ruchti and Idaho Health Care Advocates: Senator James Ruchti and Luke Mayville, Executive Director of Reclaim Idaho, joined Protect Our Care Idaho to discuss Congress’s plan to slash trillions from Medicaid. Through block granting, lifetime caps, and other draconian reporting measures, those at the top want to take away health care from millions of people who rely on it to hand out $4.6 trillion in tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy. Speakers also discussed how these cuts will hurt Idaho families, jeopardize hospital funding, and strain the state budget. “Our rural hospitals and medical providers are already struggling under extreme financial strain and our communities have a difficult time keeping providers. The loss of any portion of Medicaid funding would cause many to close their doors, meaning Idahoans in rural communities would have to travel even further to get the care they need,” said Senator James Ruchti (D-29). You can watch the event here, and view the post-event release here.

IOWA

Monday, January 27 – Constituent Meeting with Senator Joni Ernst Health Care Staffer Emily Covey: A group of five constituents joined Protect Our Care Iowa to discuss the GOP’s plan to slash trillions from Medicaid with Senator Joni Ernst’s staff. “Senator Ernst needs to know that we don’t WANT her to protect Medicaid funding. We NEED her to,” said Iowa disability rights advocate Zach Mecham. “Without Medicaid, people die,” Mecham said. “It’s not just a program on a budget sheet. For many of us, it is the difference between isolation and participation in society, and it provides essential resources for survival, dignity, and independence.” You can view the post-event release here.

MICHIGAN

Wednesday, January 29 — Medicaid Event with State Senator Jeff Irwin and Health Care Advocates: Michigan Senator Jeff Irwin and health care professionals joined Protect Our Care Michigan to call on President Trump and Congress to protect Medicaid from devastating cuts and ensure Michiganders can continue to get health care that saves lives and improves health. The appeal to prevent Medicaid cuts comes as Republicans consider a proposal to pay for tax cuts for America’s richest people, including slashing up to $2.3 trillion from Medicaid, which provides health care to more than 2.9 million Michigan adults and children in low-income households. “Medicaid keeps families and communities stronger, and we urge President Trump and Congress to protect this vital lifeline from cuts,” said Dr. Farhan Bhatti, CEO of Care Free Medical in Lansing and a longtime family physician. “Doctors and medical professionals see firsthand, every day in our clinics and exam rooms, how access to affordable, quality health care directly benefits our patients and the families we serve. When people can see a doctor without worrying about going broke, they are more likely to be healthier and more productive.” You can view the post-event release here, and watch the full event here.

• WWMT CBS: Potential Medicaid cuts spark concern for rural and low-income Michiganders
• Michigan Advance: Michigan Dem blasts Trump White House as ‘reckless’  

NEW YORK

Thursday, January 30—Medicaid Defense Event with Congressman Jerry Nadler, Congressman Adriano Espaillat, and New York Health Care Advocates: Jerrold Nadler (NY-12) and Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) joined Protect Our Care New York to discuss the GOP’s plan to slash trillions from Medicaid. Through block granting, lifetime caps, and other draconian reporting measures, Republicans want to take away health care from millions of people who rely on it in order to hand out $4.6 trillion in tax breaks to the wealthy. “Despite campaigning for months on the promise of lowering costs for working families and making America ‘Healthy Again,’ it’s clear that Republicans intend to do the exact opposite – by enacting policies that will make millions of Americans sicker, poorer and more likely to die from preventable illnesses, all so they can pass almost $5 million in tax cuts for their billionaire donors,” said Congressman Nadler. “Medicaid provides access to health care to so many working class people, mixed-status families, single moms, seniors—everyone that’s not making ends meet must rely on Medicaid,” said Congressman Espaillat. “Trump wants to take our Medicaid. We’ve got to fight back. We must do everything we can to protect it.” You can watch the event here, and view the post-event release here.

• Politico New York Playbook: ‘Fired up and ready to go!’  

VIRGINIA

• VPM: Lawmakers aim to protect Medicaid expansion for thousands of Virginians

Thursday, January 30 – Medicaid Event with Senator Creigh Deeds and Health Care Advocates: Senator Creigh Deeds (D-Charlottesville)  joined The Commonwealth Institute, SEIU Virginia State Council and Protect Our Care Virginia to discuss Congressional Republicans’ plan to slash trillions from Medicaid. Virginia is one of nine states with a trigger law that will automatically disenroll the entire Medicaid expansion population (more than 600,000 Virginians, or roughly 7% of the state) if federal Medicaid reimbursement levels for that population drop below the current 90%. “Over 600,000 people are at risk of losing health care because of this irresponsible act,” said Senator Creigh Deeds. “It is a federal responsibility. We’ve got to hold their feet to the fire and make sure that the federal government addresses this, but this is something that will affect real Virginians and people we care about.” You can watch the event here.

• Richmond-Times Dispatch: Virginia Dems warn of stark choice if GOP cuts Medicaid (full text viewable here)
• Roanoke Times: Virginia Dems warn of stark choice if GOP cuts Medicaid (full text viewable here)
• WVTF: What happens if Medicaid is cut? Virginia lawmakers aren’t waiting to find out
• Virginia Mercury: Virginia Medicaid recipients on edge as GOP weighs cuts
• NBC29: State Senator Deeds calls for Medicaid protections

WEST VIRGINIA

Friday, January 24 – Medicaid Event with West Virginia Health Care Advocates: West Virginia health care advocates Ellen Allen of West Virginians for Affordable Health Care, Kaylen Payne of Planned Parenthood, and patient advocate Rusty Williams joined Protect Our Care West Virginia to discuss the GOP’s plan to slash trillions from Medicaid what what this would mean for West Virginians’ access to routine, emergency, and maternal care. “Our state is currently confronting an unprecedented maternal and infant health crisis impacting patients in all 55 counties,” said Kaylen Payne, Maternal Health Policy Analyst for Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates. “Currently, living in this reproductive health desert, many of the pregnant and postpartum people who access care either do so through Medicaid or Title X. If Medicaid is gutted in the way the Trump and Morrisey administrations have signaled they plan to do, pregnant, postpartum people and newborns will continue to suffer; and an already quickly deteriorating problem will become catastrophic.” You can view the post-event release here and watch the full event here.

• West Virginia Watch: West Virginia health care advocates decry proposed cuts to Medicaid
• Register-Herald: West Virginia health care advocates decry proposed cuts to Medicaid
• AOL.com: West Virginia health care advocates decry proposed cuts to Medicaid  

Thursday, January 30 – West Virginia Watch Op-Ed by Ellen Allen on Why Medicaid Must be Protected: Protect Our Care West Virginia placed an opinion piece in West Virginia Watch by West Virginians for Affordable Health Care executive editor Ellen Allen on how Medicaid is an essential form of health care for both West Virginians and all Americans, and cutting funding for this critical, popular coverage would be devastating for the state. Allen explains, “Fewer dollars mean fewer resources for low-income families, people with disabilities, pregnant women and others who rely on Medicaid for health coverage. The state’s going to lose funding for all those people who lose coverage. Even though these poorer states spend less per resident on Medicaid, their federal reimbursement rate is relatively high, and so the impact of federal cuts is large. Gutting Medicaid will take health care away from hardworking families across West Virginia, instead of helping them — they deserve better, and it is within our power to do so.” You can read the full op-ed here.  

WISCONSIN

Wednesday, January 29 – Medicaid Event with Congresswoman Gwen Moore, State Senator Latonya Johnson, and Health Care Advocates: U.S. Congresswoman Gwen Moore, Wisconsin State Senator LaTonya Johnson and a group of advocates joined Protect Our Care Wisconsin to warn what’s at stake if the Trump Administration and Republican Congress move forward with their plan to slash trillions from Medicaid. “We are very, very concerned (about threats to Medicaid),” said Congresswoman Moore, citing concerns about the future of community health centers, for nursing homes, and existing protections for unemployment compensation for those who deliver services to beneficiaries. “From cradle to grave, Medicaid has an impact on everybody,” added Moore. You can view the post-event here.

• WITI: Democratic lawmakers host roundtable on health care
• WITI: Concern the Trump administration proposes slashing health care benefits from Wisconsinites
• Wisconsin Examiner: Lawmakers again propose extending postpartum Medicaid

 

RFK Jr. Refused Repeatedly to Acknowledge That Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism and Failed to Answer Basic Questions About America’s Health Care System

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had another disastrous confirmation hearing yesterday, and now his nomination to serve as Secretary of Health & Human Services (HHS) is in deep jeopardy. Before the Senate HELP Committee, RFK Jr. refused multiple times to acknowledge that vaccines do not cause autism, opting instead to prey on the fears of parents and families. He also failed to answer basic questions about our health care system and programs like Medicare, further proving his complete lack of qualifications to lead HHS. He even lied about his own past claims that Lyme disease was “highly likely” created as a military bioweapon. His two confirmation hearings this week have only made it more clear that Kennedy’s nomination poses a grave threat to the health and well-being of the American people.

IN THE NEWS: 

Washington Post: RFK Jr. Tries to Convince Skeptical Senators That He Won’t Undermine Vaccines. 

• “Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday struggled to answer questions about Medicare, refused to rule out a debunked link between autism and vaccines, and said he would entertain conspiracy theories about the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, in a second day of hearings as he tries to convince the Senate to confirm him as the nation’s top health official.”

Politico: Bill Cassidy Offered RFK Jr. An Out. He Didn’t Take It. 

• “If Kennedy were to pursue even a fraction of the policy agenda he espoused as an activist — before Trump named him to lead HHS in November after winning the election, which was preceded by Kennedy dropping his own presidential bid and endorsing Trump — it would upend HHS and the public health system.”
• “‘Our expectations for RFK Jr. were already on the floor, but he showed all of America today why his nomination poses a grave threat to Americans’ health and well-being,’ said Brad Woodhouse, executive director of Democratically aligned Protect Our Care, an advocacy group that has spent more than $1 million campaigning against Kennedy’s confirmation.”

The Hill: GOP Chair ‘Struggling’ With RFK Jr. Nomination After Hearing.

• “Senate Health Committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said at the end of Thursday’s hearing he is ‘struggling’ with whether to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services secretary. Cassidy, a physician, pleaded multiple times for Kennedy to publicly declare that vaccines don’t cause autism. ‘That would have an incredible impact,’ Cassidy said. But Kennedy wouldn’t do it, saying only that if the evidence proved otherwise, he would apologize for past comments suggesting a link. Cassidy noted Kennedy has a ‘megaphone’ and chastised him for using it to sow doubt about vaccines. ‘A worthy movement called MAHA,’ Cassidy told Kennedy at the conclusion of the three-hour hearing. ‘To improve the health of Americans, or to undermine it, always asking for more evidence, never accepting the evidence that is there? That is why I have been struggling with your nomination.’”

Mother Jones: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Is Trying to Hide Who He Is.

• “Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation hearings to become Secretary of Health and Human Services could have been a window into Kennedy’s beliefs and how he’d run one of the largest departments in the U.S. government. Instead, Kennedy spent much of the two days he was questioned before two different Senate committees denying his past comments, obfuscating his long record as an anti-vaccine activist, and, in some cases, flatly denying things he’s previously said publicly.”

STAT: At Confirmation Hearing, RFK Jr. Refuses To Say That Vaccines Don’t Cause Autism.

• “Robert F. Kennedy Jr. refused to confirm to senators that he believes vaccines do not cause autism during his confirmation hearing Thursday. … There are more than a dozen studies showing that vaccination is not associated with autism, including studies specifically focused on the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine; studies focused on the mercury-containing ingredient thimerosal; and studies focused on the question of whether getting too many vaccines results in a higher risk of autism. All of them show that the shots do not increase rates of autism.”

Los Angeles Times: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Refuses To Reject Falsehoods About Vaccines And Autism In Confirmation Hearing.

• “Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s long record of questioning the safety of childhood vaccinations persisted as a flash point for him Thursday during a confirmation hearing where a key Republican quickly raised concerns about his views. Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a physician who chairs the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, opened the hearing with tough questions for Kennedy. He asked him to reject a long-discredited theory that vaccines cause autism. Kennedy refused to flatly do so.”

CNBC: RFK Jr. Stumbles Over Basics of Medicare, Medicaid During Senate Confirmation Hearings.

• “Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, appeared to be unfamiliar with fundamental elements of the Medicare and Medicaid programs Thursday during his second Senate confirmation hearing. … he struggled to identify and explain the fundamental aspects of [Medicare], which provides coverage to older and disabled Americans.”

ABC News: Kennedy Stumbles Over Medicare Questions.

• “Kennedy incorrectly said Medicare Part A was mainly for primary care or physicians. In fact, Medicare A covers inpatient care in hospitals, critical access hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. He failed to describe what Medicare Part B is, which covers medically necessary services and supplies, and preventive services.”

The New York Times: Is the HPV Vaccine Safe? Yes, Despite Kennedy’s Criticisms.

• “Amid a tense line of questioning during the first day of confirmation hearings, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he would keep his financial stake in pending litigation centered on Gardasil, a vaccine meant to prevent cervical cancer, which can be caused by the human papillomavirus, or HPV. On Thursday, under questioning by Senator Patty Murray, Democrat of Washington, Mr. Kennedy declined to disavow comments he had made disparaging the vaccine as unsafe and as something that no parent should give to a child. (Unexpectedly, he also seemed to assert that he had surrendered his financial stake in the litigation.) Mr. Kennedy has often singled out Gardasil in his critiques of vaccines, suggesting that its ingredients increase the risk of cancer, lead to autoimmune conditions and may be responsible for a rise in mental illness. The Children’s Health Defense, a nonprofit co-founded by Mr. Kennedy, called the vaccine ‘one of the most dangerous vaccines ever approved.’”
• “But the vaccine is also remarkably effective at preventing cancer — roughly 97 percent effective in preventing cervical cancer, and nearly 100 percent effective in preventing external genital warts. […] But current studies show that HPV vaccines cause ‘no increased risk’ of chronic fatigue syndrome and do ‘not support a causal link’ between Gardasil and POTS.”

Healthcare Dive: RFK Jr. Fumbles Medicare Basics During Second Confirmation Hearing.

• “It’s the second time in two days that Kennedy has appeared confused about the massive insurance program, which covers more than 66 million Americans. During a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Wednesday, Kennedy also fumbled questions about Medicaid. He incorrectly stated the safety-net program was fully funded by the federal government — although he acknowledged his mistake during Thursday’s hearing.If confirmed, Kennedy would oversee the department that includes the CMS, which provides coverage to 160 million people with Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and the Affordable Care Act exchanges.”

MedPage Today: RFK Jr. Wrong on Medicare, Medicaid During Senate Confirmation Hearing.

• “Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s statements before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday revealed a concerning lack of knowledge about the major health programs he’d oversee, should he be confirmed as HHS secretary. On several occasions during the 3.5-hour hearing, Kennedy seemed to conflate Medicare, Medicaid, and Medicare Advantage, and appeared to mistakenly refer to the Affordable Care Act health exchanges.” 

Scripps News: RFK Jr. Senate Hearings Conclude As Future Of His Confirmation Remains Uncertain.

• “Kennedy, appearing Thursday before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee was again pressed on his stances — some controversial — particularly regarding things like vaccines and vaccine efficacy. While much of the criticism Thursday came from Democrats, Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy — who is chairman of the committee and a physician — also took aim at Kennedy’s past statements. He brought up a personal story about a young woman who was experiencing liver failure from a hepatitis infection, and partially blamed it on Kennedy for promoting the idea that Americans should be skeptical of vaccines. ‘It was the worst day of my medical career because I thought $50 of vaccines could have prevented [that woman from experiencing liver failure],’ Cassiday [sic] said. He then pressed Kennedy on whether he would reassure Americans that vaccines for things like Hepatitis B do not cause autism. Kennedy did not, instead saying he would ‘if the data is there.’”

CNN: Senator Challenges RFK Jr.’s False Vaccine Claims In Emotional Speech.

• “In a personal and impassioned speech, Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) revealed to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. her own struggle with her son’s health and the fears she had about Kennedy’s continued questioning of what has been settled science on vaccines. RFK Jr. is President Trump’s nominee to be the next Secretary of Health and Human services and has repeatedly questioned the safety of vaccines.”

Barrons: Powerful Republican Takes Aim at R.F.K. Jr.’s Vaccine Views in Senate Hearing

• “Kennedy has downplayed his history of advocating against vaccines since President Donald Trump nominated him to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, and during a hearing on Wednesday before the Senate’s finance committee he acknowledged he had vaccinated his own children.”
• “In a series of questions asked after opening statements, Cassidy asked if Kennedy would tell parents that the measles and hepatitis b vaccines do not cause autism. Kennedy has said that vaccination causes autism, despite an expert consensus that they do not.”

MSNBC: At Confirmation Hearing, RFK Jr. Trips Over His Ignorance

• “Headed into Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s first Senate confirmation hearing, many observers expected the longtime conspiracy theorist to face tough questions about his many outlandish ideas — and he did… What was not altogether expected, however, was to see the HHS nominee struggle badly with the basics of the American health care system, which Kennedy would be in a position to oversee. … One need not be a health care policy wonk, intimately familiar with granular and obscure details, to be aware of these facts. Indeed, this is the kind of basic information one would assume that an HHS nominee would already know. Kennedy, however, tripped over his ignorance.”

Reuters: Kennedy Accused Of ‘Misleading’ Vaccine Arguments By Republican Senator.

• “‘Your past of undermining confidence in vaccines with unfounded or misleading arguments concerns me,’ Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, a physician from Louisiana, told Kennedy. ‘I have constituents who partly credit you for their decision to not vaccinate their child.’ The hearing was the second in two days for Kennedy during which he squared off with Democrats and some Republicans over his past comments on vaccines, abortion and COVID-19 among other topics.”
• “Kennedy has said that vaccines are linked to autism, and he opposed state and federal restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The causes of autism are unclear, though theories that childhood vaccines cause autism have been widely debunked and are contrary to scientific evidence.”

E&E News: RFK Jr. Offers Conflicting Views On Lyme Disease.

• “Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told senators Thursday that he ‘never believed’ that Lyme disease was created as a biological weapon. But almost exactly a year ago — in January 2024 — the Health and Human Services nominee hosted an entire episode of his podcast dedicated to ‘Bioweapons and Lyme Disease.’ On the episode, Kennedy hosted author Kris Newby, who had recently published a book called ‘Bitten: The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons.’ Together, they promoted a false conspiracy theory that the tick-borne illness was cooked up in a military lab off the coast of Long Island, New York, in the 1950s.”

HuffPost: Senators Take RFK Jr. To Task Over His Vaccine Safety Dodge.

• “Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said over and over again that he is not against vaccines, despite his long record of spreading vaccine misinformation. Addressing senators wary of confirming him to be secretary of health and human services, Kennedy has claimed he simply wants to promote safety and transparency ― that, if the evidence shows vaccines are safe, he will support them. But the answer is a dodge, because it implies there’s an active scientific debate over vaccine safety. There is not. On Thursday, a group of senators questioning Kennedy made that clear.”

CBS News: Kennedy Pressed On Measles Outbreak In American Samoa.

• “Sen. Ed Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, pressed Kennedy on a trip he made to American Samoa, in which Kennedy reportedly expressed skepticism toward vaccines. Kennedy’s 2019 visit to Samoa has recently brought fresh attention to his history of activism focused on raising questions about the safety and effectiveness of the measles vaccine — because his trip came just months before a devastating measles outbreak that claimed 83 lives, many of them young children.”

CBS News: RFK Jr. Struggles To Answer Whether He Stands By Past Statements That HPV Vaccine Increases The Risk Of Cervical Cancer.

• “Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington brought up Kennedy’s past statements in which Murray said Kennedy called the human papillomavirus, or HPV, vaccine dangerous and defective. The vaccine has been proven to significantly lower women’s risk of cervical cancer. Murray asked Kennedy if he stands by those past statements.  Kennedy said he brought litigation on behalf of girls who believed the HPV vaccine harmed them.”

Daily Beast: RFK Jr. Confronted About Refusal to ‘Take Sides’ on 9/11.

• “Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine hammered Donald Trump’s Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for his former comments that he ‘won’t take sides on 9/11’ during a heated confirmation hearing on Thursday. … Kennedy refused to back down from his stance, responding: ‘Senator, I haven’t investigated it. Things I investigate, I take sides on.’”