Senator Hassan Leads Colleagues in Pressing RFK Jr. on Diversion of Taxpayer Public Health Funding to Promote His Personal Brand

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Health Care, led her colleagues in pressing 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 Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) as well as U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM).

"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," Senator Hassan and her colleagues 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, Senator Hassan and her colleagues 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.

Read the full text of Senator Hassan and her colleagues' request to Secretary Kennedy here or below.

Dear Secretary Kennedy,

Record numbers of Americans are contracting measles, falling sick with a parasite, and struggling to afford the health care that they need. At the same time, you are failing to carry out your duties as the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). We are concerned that, instead of addressing the struggles that Americans face today in trying to keep their families safe and healthy, you are using taxpayer dollars to promote your personal brand.

In just the past few months, the United States has faced life-threatening public health challenges that you have failed to adequately address. Since President Trump was sworn in, more than 4,600 Americans - mostly children - have been infected by measles, and three have died. During this Administration, we have seen more cases of measles in the United States than in the previous 24 years combined. Yet you have made nearly no effort to help families protect their children from the life-threatening impacts of measles, and infections continue to skyrocket: in August of 2026, we have already surpassed the total number of measles cases reported in all of 2025. In fact, this is a predictable consequence of your longstanding crusade against vaccines.

While measles outbreaks continue to make children sick in every region of the country, you are also failing to protect Americans from historic outbreaks of foodborne illness. As many as 20,000 people have reported infections from cyclospora, a parasite that causes severe gastrointestinal distress, and two people have now died as a result of this uncontrolled outbreak. As your Department fails to get a handle on cyclospora, people in at least 32 states have also been infected by salmonella, and dozens have been hospitalized.

On a bipartisan basis, Congress has provided your Department with targeted resources to fight outbreaks of disease. For example, the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs has received significant funding to lead national communications campaigns about public health emergencies. However, it appears that you are not using this Office or comparable Department resources to address ongoing public health crises.

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. 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.

To better understand how you are allocating the Department's resources, we request answers to the following questions by September 30, 2026:

1. How much official time have you spent in meetings, briefings, and public engagements related to coordinating a response to address the following outbreaks?
   1. Measles
   2. Cyclospora
   3. Salmonella
   4. Hantavirus
   5. Ebola
2. How much has the Department spent on efforts to respond to the measles outbreak and promote vaccination against measles?
3. Please describe the efforts and resources that you have dedicated to hiring staff at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration with the following areas of expertise:
   1. Epidemiology
   2. Infectious disease
   3. Laboratory science
   4. Public health informatics and surveillance
   5. Public health communication
4. How much official time have you personally spent in producing the "The Real Food Show" and "The Secretary Kennedy Podcast?"
5. How many federal employees are working on "The Real Food Show" and "The Secretary Kennedy Podcast", and how many hours are staff spending on these projects?
6. What are the total budget and expenditures thus far for the Department's production and promotion of "The Real Food Show" and "The Secretary Kennedy Podcast"?
7. From where in the HHS operating budget is funding being drawn down to obtain the materials, production resources, staff resources, and promotion budget for these shows?
8. Please provide all communications, including contracts, statements of work, invoices, and payment records, between the Office of the Secretary and any production companies, media consultants, personal branding vendors, or third-party contractors involved in the "The Real Food Show" and "The Secretary Kennedy Podcast."
9. Did the Department's ethics officials review and approve the use of taxpayer dollars for "The Real Food Show" and "The Secretary Kennedy Podcast?" If so, please provide all associated opinions, guidance, memoranda, and conditions.

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