Robert F. Kennedy Jr. should resign or be fired, public health leader says

Georges C. Benjamin, MD, never wanted to see Robert F. Kennedy Jr. running the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

Benjamin, the executive director of the American Public Health Association, told Chief Healthcare Executive® last fall that he shouldn’t have been nominated.

“We do not believe that Mr. Kennedy is qualified to be HHS secretary, and do not believe that he should have that job under any circumstances,” Benjamin said.

Now, Benjamin is calling for Kennedy to step down or for the Trump administration to fire him.

Benjamin cited the termination of thousands of employees in the health department, including key leaders in vital positions, his unwillingness to aggressively promote vaccinations, and other missteps.

“As a physician, I pledged to first do no harm and to speak up when I see harm being done by others. I ask my colleagues to join me and speak up,” Benjamin said in a statement. “Secretary Robert Kennedy is a danger to the public’s health and should resign or be fired.”

Benjamin cited Kennedy’s “nonsensical reorganization of HHS that will weaken our nation’s ability to meaningfully address any health problem.”

He also pointed to Kennedy spurring Dr. Peter Marks, the top vaccine official at the Food & Drug Administration, to leave the agency. Marks said he was essentially forced out for aiming to protect vaccine safety data, the Associated Press reported.

The health department’s broad layoffs have alarmed some public health leaders. Kennedy said 10,000 workers are being dismissed, and another 10,000 have taken buyouts or early retirements. One way or another, the health department is getting rid of a quarter of its workforce.

It’s not just the numbers that have worried healthcare leaders. Critics say the layoffs are going far beyond bureaucratic streamlining and the department is getting rid of its best leaders. Former FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said,“The FDA as we've known it is finished, with most of the leaders with institutional knowledge and a deep understanding of product development and safety no longer employed.”

Benjamin pointed to the health department aiming to pull back $11 billion in Covid-related funds given to state and local health departments. Health leaders said the cuts would derail efforts to track outbreaks and prepare for new emergencies. Benjamin also criticized Kennedy for halting NIH research aimed at preventing future epidemics.

Benjamin pointed to the measles outbreak, which has led to three deaths and more than 600 cases. He criticized Kennedy for failing to use his platform as the health secretary to heavily promote the use of vaccines in the wake of a measles outbreak.

Kennedy has said the measles vaccine can protect the public. In a social media post after the report of the second child death from the measles, Kennedy said, “The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine.”

But the health department also rankled healthcare leaders when the CDC said it was announcing new research to see if there are any ties between vaccines and autism, despite numerous studies finding no such link. Benjamin cited that study as another strike against Kennedy, and also denounced the selection of a vaccine skeptic to lead the study.

Benjamin also chided Kennedy for promoting “unscientific therapies such as vitamin A to treat measles”.

He also criticized Kennedy for calling on the CDC to stop recommending the use of fluoride in drinking water.

• Read more: Measles outbreak shows need for vaccination, outreach and primary care

Kennedy has said he’s working to reshape the health department to address chronic diseases and says that simply spending money isn’t improving America’s health. He says his moves are focused on removing bureaucrats and preserving key scientists and personnel who protect the health of Americans.

The Senate narrowly confirmed Kennedy in February, and Benjamin said Kennedy quickly proved he’s not up to the job.

“Americans deserve better than someone who is trying to impose his unscientific and judgmental view of public health and science,” Benjamin said in his statement. “We deserve better than RFK, Jr. He demonstrated his incompetence in only a few weeks.”

With the reorganization of the health department, Kennedy is closing half of the department’s 10 regional offices and is merging some of the department’s divisions. Kennedy said the moves will save $1.8 billion, and he vowed to preserve key services of Medicare & Medicaid.

"I want to promise you now that we're going to do more with less," Kennedy said in a video explaining the reorganization. "No American is going to be left behind.”

The health department said the moves will streamline operations and reduce unnecessary duplication in some areas, enabling the department to respond more effectively.

Public health leaders doubt the department will do more with a smaller staff.

Sharon Gilmartin, executive director of the Safe States Alliance, said that the “cuts to CDC in particular and the HHS workforce have been unprecedented. They are completely out of step with history and best practices.”