Wyden, Hassan Press RFK Jr on Diversion of Taxpayer Public Health Funding to Promote His Personal Brand

Wyden, Hassan Press RFK Jr on Diversion of Taxpayer Public Health Funding to Promote His Personal Brand

Text of the Letter (PDF)

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden D-Ore., Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee and Maggie Hassan D-N.H., Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Health Care, press Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for answers regarding his use of time and resources for vanity projects as he fails to address the public health challenges facing Americans. While a record number of Americans are contracting measles, falling sick from parasites found in their food, and struggling to afford the health care that they need, Secretary Kennedy is diverting taxpayer dollars for self-promotion projects such as a podcast and cooking show to highlight his own interests, hobbies, and brand. The effort was joined by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer D-N.Y., Angela Alsobrooks D-Md., Mark Warner D-Va., and Ben Ray Luján D-N.M.

"On a bipartisan basis, Congress has provided your Department with targeted resources to fight outbreaks of disease.... However, it appears that you are not using this Office or comparable Department resources to address ongoing public health crises," the Senators wrote in a request for records and information to Secretary Kennedy. "Instead, you appear to be directing taxpayer dollars and official federal resources to produce vanity projects. These self-promotion projects include a new podcast and a new show that are each centered around your personal brand instead of the responsibility of your Department to protect the health of all Americans."

The Senators continued, "On 'The Secretary Kennedy Podcast,' you appear to be using official HHS resources to discuss topics such as 'biohacking' while ignoring the pressing outbreaks that Americans are facing every day. You also appear to be spending official HHS resources to personally host a cooking show called 'The Real Food Show.' A recent episode of this show, paid for with taxpayer dollars, featured you discussing 'The Secret to the PERFECT Omelet.' Both projects are on official government websites and state that they were produced by the Department of Health and Human Services."

In the letter to Secretary Kennedy, the Senators pressed for answers on how much of his Department's time and taxpayer funds have been spent on projects such his "The Real Food Show," and "The Secretary Kennedy Podcast." The letter also requests answers on how much of the Department's time and funding is being spent to respond to growing public health emergencies, such as the Measles outbreak, including how much of Secretary Kennedy's own time is actually dedicated to addressing these public health threats.

Under Secretary Kennedy's leadership, the United States is facing multiple life-threatening public health challenges. More Americans have contracted measles during this current administration than in the past 24 years combined. Additionally, as many as 20,000 people have been infected by cyclospora, a parasite that causes severe gastrointestinal distress, and two people have died as a result of this uncontrolled outbreak.

The full letter is available here.

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