Senators Baldwin and Schatz Are Also Speaking Out Against RFK Jr.’s Dangerous Lies and Extremism as Opposition Builds Up Ahead of HHS Secretary Confirmation Hearings
As RFK Jr. continues his meetings on Capitol Hill and attempts to cover up his extreme record, a wave of opposition and concern is mounting. Yesterday, Senator Patty Murray took to the Senate floor to sound the alarm on the threat that RFK Jr.’s nomination poses to Americans’ health, safety, and well-being. Senator Murray slammed RFK Jr. as a “conspiracy theorist who is openly antagonistic to public health and will have tremendous authority over Americans’ lives and their health care.”
Senator Tammy Baldwin also spoke out against RFK Jr. after meeting with him yesterday, saying that his confirmation would be “downright dangerous” and “a risk to Wisconsinites and Americans.” Senator Baldwin said her meeting with RFK Jr. “did nothing to ease my grave concerns about his long list of conspiracy theories and anti-vaccine positions.”
Senator Brian Schatz joined the chorus of senators slamming RFK Jr.’s extreme positions, telling The New Abnormal podcast that RFK Jr. “is in serious peril” of losing his nomination battle and blasting him as “super, super dangerous.” Senator Schatz added that “people really will die if this person is in charge of HHS.”
Background
- Earlier this week, Protect Our Care released a new report on RFK Jr.’s demonstrated history of leading the extremist anti-vaccine movement, laying out his anti-vaccine lies in detail, ranging from linking vaccines in general to autism to attacks against all kinds of disease-specific vaccines, chiefly measles, COVID-19, polio, and HPV – all vaccines that have been instrumental in eradicating or curbing the spread of life-threatening, harrowing diseases over the past century.
- Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden also discussed RFK Jr.’s upcoming confirmation hearing on MSNBC, saying that Democrats will bring “the receipts” on his dangerous anti-vaccine positions and the threat he would pose to Americans’ health care as Secretary of HHS.
- Senators on both sides of the aisle are raising concerns about RFK Jr.’s nomination because of his repeated spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories.
- New reporting this week revealed how RFK Jr. failed to disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars he made from his anti-vax crusade.
- Last week, over 17,000 doctors signed a letter urging senators to reject RFK Jr.’s nomination as HHS secretary, and a group of health professionals and scientists released a public letter warning that his ‘unfounded, fringe beliefs could significantly undermine public health practices across the country and around the world.’”