from the sage-advice dept
Contemporary off of his Mom’s Day swim in a literal shit creek, RFK Jr. sat earlier than House and Senate committees to reply questions in regards to the influence of the proposed Trump price range on Well being and Human Providers (HHS), the cuts which have and are proposed additional for HHS, and a proof for why some applications are being saved whereas others are being lower. In his testimony, Kennedy advocated for the Republican price range, together with these main cuts to his personal potential to ship on HHS’ mission.
Straight from the HHS web site, right here is its mission assertion.
The mission of the U.S. Division of Well being and Human Providers (HHS) is to boost the well being and well-being of all Individuals, by offering for efficient well being and human providers and by fostering sound, sustained advances within the sciences underlying medication, public well being, and social providers.
That mission assertion is clearly now not legitimate. Like, in any respect. HHS actually isn’t enhancing well being anyplace in any respect in comparison with a few months in the past. Social providers and public well being services are being in the reduction of, not superior. And the “sound science” bit? Miss me with that bullshit whereas RFK Jr. is main the cost on American medication and healthcare.
And it appears RFK Jr. agrees on that final level as properly. Kennedy not solely at the moment heads up HHS, however he has written a number of books on the subjects of well being, medication, and healthcare through the years. They embody titles like The Actual Anthony Fauci, The Wuhan Cowl-Up, Vax-Unvax: Let the Science Communicate, and Profiles of the Vaccine Injured, amongst others. These all contact closely upon medication and healthcare, advising the reader as to the reality inside medication or advocating for one well being coverage or one other.
Which makes it fairly fucking wealthy when Kennedy mentioned this in response to a query about whether or not he would advocate for the general public to get sure vaccinations in these identical hearings.
“Should you had a toddler immediately, would you vaccinate that baby for measles?” began the Democratic congressman Mark Pocan of Wisconsin on the Home appropriations committee listening to.
“For measles? Um, most likely for measles,” mentioned Kennedy, in one of many few hesitations of the listening to. “What I might say is my opinions about vaccines are irrelevant … I don’t need to look like I’m being evasive, however I don’t assume individuals ought to be taking recommendation, medical recommendation, from me.”
On the one hand, hey, he lastly mentioned one thing medically wise: don’t take recommendation from him. That’s, properly, good recommendation. Then again, perhaps it might be higher if we had somebody main HHS who’s recommendation we might hearken to? I do know, loopy thought, nevertheless it simply may work.
And given the amount of medical recommendation Kennedy has distributed through the years, it’s each outstanding that he would make that assertion and equally outstanding that he can’t handle to take any kind of stance on a number of medical questions in entrance of Congress.
Pocan went on to ask about chickenpox.
“Um, once more, I don’t need to give recommendation,” Kennedy mentioned, earlier than commenting on shingles.
Pocan continued: “Polio?”
“Polio?” Kennedy mentioned. “Once more, I don’t need to be giving recommendation.”
The issued re-emerged in his afternoon testimony earlier than the Senate committee on well being, schooling, labor and pensions, the place the Democrat Chris Murphy requested Kennedy if he would suggest the measles vaccine. The secretary demurred, prompting Murphy to say: “I believe that’s actually harmful for the American public and for households.
“The secretary of well being and human providers is now not recommending the measles vaccines,” Murphy mentioned.
Once more, we’re in the course of a ballooning measles outbreak in America and the Secretary of HHS can’t determine a technique to inform the general public to get an MMR vaccine that’s protected and efficient. Good occasions.
There’s an extended tail facet to all of this. Even had been Kennedy to be faraway from his publish immediately — a transfer that’s so overly justified as to be laughable — the consequences of his holding the place even these few months are going to be felt for many years, if not longer. There are already deaths at the very least partially on his arms. How lengthy is the present administration actually going to let this go on?
Filed Beneath: congressional hearings, health and human services, polio, rfk jr., vaccinations, vaccines
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