No, absolutely no Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the new Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). He’s come under fire from an unusual source — Republicans — for his unorthodox health advice and anti-vaccine rhetoric. Though Senator Bill Cassidy himself helped to confirm Kennedy, he expressed alarm over Kennedy’s anti-vaccination position. Now, the administration is dealing with the devastating effects of Kennedy’s policies.
Kennedy chairs the vaccine policy committee, and has caused a nationwide firestorm with his comments that vaccines cause autism. He argues that there are connections between autism and many different drugs, even OTC drugs like Tylenol. His speech has rightfully caused a firestorm of concern and debate even within the Republican Party. This has resulted in a rising swell of opposition to his part in the administration.
Republican senators are voicing their discontent. Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska called Kennedy’s vaccine policy committee “very, very, very unsettling and very concerning.” Murkowski’s comments reflect a broader unease among party members regarding Kennedy’s influence on health guidelines that could lack scientific backing.
As a result, bill Cassidy, a leading Republican senator from Louisiana, is leading the charge in opposition to Kennedy’s agenda. Cassidy’s support for Kennedy was pretty reticent, and he is currently spearheading the Republican opposition’s effort to define opposition within his party. Senator Susan Collins of Maine then lent considerable weight to this critique, calling into serious question the integrity of any recommendations that could emerge from Kennedy’s committee.
“It appears that [Monarez] was under a lot of pressure to approve recommendations that may come from the [vaccine advisory] committee that may lack scientific basis, so that is disturbing and would undermine our public health efforts,” – Susan Collins
The ire directed at Kennedy’s appointment has been bubbling over in recent weeks. An anonymous senator remarked on the situation within the party:
“You see a lot of Republicans starting to break ranks here, and there’s a lot of noise. I think it will come down to Trump and what his tolerance level is for all this noise around [Kennedy].”
Another unnamed senator noted Trump’s historically low tolerance for dissent within his ranks and acknowledged that “Bobby Kennedy is different. He’s not like anyone else in the cabinet.”
Kennedy’s unorthodox campaign and the resulting resonance of his policies and public assertions are starting to threaten to turn into a political liability for Donald Trump. On stage during that recent White House announcement with Trump, the unease among Republicans was apparent as they watched Kennedy stand next to their President. The discord applies enormous pressure on Trump. He will have to manage the competing interests of his cabinet while bringing his party together.
The political fallout is still playing out. Just as many in the Republican Party are beginning to ponder the future created by Kennedy’s wild card health prescriptions, and what that means to the development of public perception and public policy.