Alsobrooks, Wyden Continue to Build the Case Against RFK Jr.

After releasing a 54-page report chronicling every day of RFK Jr.'s costly, chaotic, and corrupt reign as Secretary, Senators Alsobrooks and Wyden continue to build their case for why RFK Jr. must resign or be fired.

February 4, 2026

WASHINGTON, DC - RFK Jr. continues to harm the American people. On September 4, 2025, Ranking Member Ron Wyden and Senator Angela Alsobrooks released a report chronicling the daily actions that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has taken to undermine the health and safety of the American people since becoming Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Below are Kennedy's latest harmful actions (December 8 - February 3rd):

1. Amid a devastating flu season, Kennedy moved to revoke the universal childhood recommendations for vaccines targeting rotavirus, meningococcal disease, hepatitis A, and influenza. With complete disregard for precedent and regulations, Kennedy unilaterally slashed vaccine access. The Senate HELP Committee Chairman publicly criticized the move, claiming it was made with "no scientific input."

1. Vaccine-preventable viruses continue to spread rapidly in the United States. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) warned that rates of pertussis, or "whooping cough," have soared amid declining vaccination rates, and measles outbreaks are growing along the Utah-Arizona border and in South Carolina, where hundreds are in quarantine. The outbreaks of whooping cough and measles are public health emergencies spawned by Kennedy's anti-vaccine rhetoric.

1. While House Democrats secured bipartisan passage of a vote to restore the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits, Senate Republicans continue to avoid bringing this bipartisan bill to the floor in order to lower skyrocketing health care costs. The tax credits expired on December 31, 2025, and more than 20 million Americans are struggling to afford sky-high premiums. During Open Enrollment, these families have faced an impossible choice: pay higher premiums, choose higher deductibles and worse coverage, or forgo health insurance altogether. Kennedy has done nothing to ease this affordability crisis for working families.

1. In a major blow to accountability and good governance, shortly after Kennedy was sworn in as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, HHS rescinded the Richardson Waiver, which requires the agency to receive public input on major programs overseen and administered by HHS, including Head Start, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Senators across party lines expressed disapproval in December, passing a motion to proceed on a resolution denouncing the decision, which runs counter to Kennedy's commitment to provide "radical transparency" at HHS.

1. After rolling back the recommendation that newborns be vaccinated against hepatitis B, Kennedy's FDA is attacking another pillar of public health. Despite no safety issues reported and overwhelming evidence of efficacy, Kennedy's FDA is targeting the RSV vaccine for a safety review.

1. As confidence in the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) continues to wane, over 28 states, including Maryland, have rejected the CDC's revised childhood vaccine schedule, and adopted alternative guidelines. Additionally, a group of Michigan's largest health systems has announced that they will not follow the board's immunization guidelines for infants. Corewell Health, Henry Ford Health, McLaren Health Care, Munson Healthcare, and the University of Michigan Health stated that their systems will continue to provide the hepatitis B vaccine to newborns.

1. In a direct refutation of Kennedy's unfounded fear-mongering, a committee of global experts on vaccine safety at the World Health Organization (WHO) released a new analysis finding no causal link between vaccination and autism spectrum disorders.

1. Kennedy shamelessly wields his position as Secretary to silence the voices of opposition. In a continuation of this abuse, Kennedy stripped millions of dollars in grants to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) following the association's criticisms of his actions to erode access to life-saving vaccines. A district judge issued a preliminary injunction against Kennedy's overt targeting, citing a "retaliatory motive."

1. In another transparent move against his political enemies, Kennedy approved a probe into Minnesota's use of federal funding. Alex Adams, Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), is using HHS resources to investigate sensational claims of Minnesota's use of federal funds to "fuel illegal and mass migration."

1. Meanwhile, reports indicate that the administration has all but stopped reuniting migrant children with their families, detaining them indefinitely in Office of Refugee Resettlement facilities.

1. After dismissing hundreds of public servants at the beginning of the year, Kennedy now seeks to hand the internal workings of his Department to AI companies. In HHS' newly released AI Strategy, the department announced vague plans to increase the use of AI by approximately 70% across the agency.

1. Under Kennedy's watch, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released unclear and confusing guidance announcing that states will be required to implement so-called "work reporting requirements" by June of 2026. This short window to implement policy, operational, and system changes continues to stress already embattled states and risks the health and well-being of millions of low-income families.

1. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary endorsed the widely debunked conspiracy theories that HIV was engineered in a lab. He also bragged that his new baby would not be receiving a Hepatitis B vaccine - supporting the dangerous policy that Kennedy has championed to reduce access to the vaccine.

1. Kennedy continues to recklessly spend taxpayer dollars to fund his personal anti-vaccine mission. HHS awarded anti-vax Danish researchers an unsolicited $1.6 million to search for harmful impacts of the Hepatitis B vaccine. Researchers Christine Stabell Benn and Peter Aaby were publicly criticized by the Danish scientific community for systematically inflating the dangers of vaccines in the results of their randomized trials.

1. In an attempt to bury the negative effects of Kennedy's anti-vaccine crusade, CMS announced it will no longer require states to report childhood vaccination rates for kids enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP. With less data available, and while children needlessly suffer, Kennedy is working to ensure all Americans are as out of touch with the scientific mainstream as he is.

1. Kennedy's FDA is dragging its feet on rules that would protect Americans, endangering our public health. At the start of the new year, the FDA blew past a deadline for its proposed rule banning formaldehyde in hair products.

1. Kennedy's FDA has announced it will weaken regulations for digital health products in order to promote the widespread use of artificial intelligence. At the Consumer Electronics Show, Commissioner Makary announced that this decision was informed not by a desire to improve Americans' health outcomes, but by a desire to excite investors.

1. Circumventing the checks and balances of good-governance, Kennedy's FDA began a "Commissioner's National Priority Review" to fast-track drug review for hand-selected companies. Some career staff at the FDA note that, while the White House has rarely been involved in drug reviews before, Commissioner Makary has been checking directly with Trump on each individual voucher selection.

1. After rejecting many recommendations of the FDA Diet Guidelines Advisory Committee, Kennedy declared an end to the "war on saturated fats" in new dietary guidelines. While the 20-person committee's report recommended a plant-forward diet including low-fat dairy, Kennedy's inverted food pyramid emphasized the importance of cooking animal protein in fatty oils.

1. Kennedy has continued to weaponize the Administration for Children and Families, unlawfully freezing federal funding for child care, Meals on Wheels, foster care, adult and child protective services, and other basic needs programs. Using "fraud" as a false pretext, this shameless and cruel campaign targets children, seniors, and working families struggling to make ends meet. ACF has restricted access to over $10 billion in essential resources for children, seniors, and families across California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, and New York. A federal judge has temporarily halted this action while the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York considers a request for a more permanent order.

1. Under Kennedy's leadership, CMS withdrew a proposed Medicare Local Coverage Determination (LCD) for skin substitutes. The proposed LCD would have pulled back Medicare coverage for wound care products shown to have limited clinical value, meaning seniors with Medicare will continue to receive faulty treatments.

1. At the end of 2025, Kennedy released a set of smoke-and-mirrors pilot programs on prescription drugs, claiming these models would lower Medicare costs by bringing prices in line with other countries. But many pharmaceutical companies are exempt from participating in the pilots because of so-called "deals" their CEOs cooked up with Trump. Yet again, Kennedy and Trump make nothing but empty promises to seniors and families who cannot afford the essential medications they need. Despite Trump claiming to have reached deals with pharmaceutical companies to lower drug prices, on January 1, these companies raised prices on 350 drugs - a 40% increase in the number of drugs that saw a price increase last year.

1. In a nearly 200-word list of banned terms, including "Black," "Native American," "disability," and "women," Kennedy has shamelessly named the groups he wishes to remove from consideration during Head Start grant applications. HHS' legal troubles continue as a federal judge has blocked the administration from removing words associated with diversity, equity, and inclusion as part of its continued efforts to dismantle the Head Start program.

1. By eliminating up-front payment requirements and reversing out-of-pocket caps on child care costs for families, Kennedy continues to burden an already embattled child care system and increase costs for working families. HHS specifically mentioned its own politically-motivated investigations in Minnesota when it announced it will roll back rules to improve the quality, supply, and affordability of childcare in order to combat alleged "waste, fraud, and abuse".

1. Kennedy hand-picked two more anti-vaccine members for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). As recently as last June, the first, Adam Urato, posted that the science on vaccine safety is not "long-settled." And the other, Kimberly Biss, has publicly cheered on Kennedy's decision to stop recommending the Hepatitis B vaccine for infants and Trump's executive order to re-evaluate the vaccine schedule.

1. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) sued to stop the next ACIP meeting and is seeking a court order to reverse HHS' recent changes to the vaccine schedule. Meanwhile, with the endorsement of 12 other medical organizations, the AAP has released its own vaccination guidelines, which contain several vaccines hastily removed by Kennedy.

1. Drawing sharp criticism from medical experts, Kennedy's hand-picked ACIP Chair has proposed reconsidering the need for the polio vaccine. ACIP Chair Kirk Milhoan signaled the Trump Administration's willingness to overturn foundational science and risk lives in the pursuit of "returning individual autonomy" on the Podcast "Why Should I Trust You?"

1. Due to ethics concerns and intense backlash from public health experts, Kennedy was blocked from conducting a vaccine experiment on babies in the West African country of Guinea-Bissau. Kennedy's study failed to guarantee the globally accepted standard of care, illustrating that his disregard for public safety extends worldwide.

1. In an interview with USA Today, Kennedy used his position as HHS secretary to parrot outlandish views unsupported by clear evidence and science. In particular, Kennedy expressed major concerns over fluoride and electromagnetic radiation while endorsing ivermectin and a "carnivore diet" consisting only of meats and fermented foods.

1. Under Kennedy's leadership, the United States could be at risk of losing "elimination status" for measles. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) confers "elimination status" upon countries which have effectively ended the transmission of disease, which the United States accomplished for measles in the year 2000. Now, amid declining vaccination rates, Kennedy contributed to the worst measles outbreak since the disease was declared eliminated.

1. Kennedy's war on science continues to leave Americans in the dark and flat-footed for public health emergencies. According to new research from the Annals of Internal Medicine, Kennedy's HHS stopped tracking crucial public health data. Of the CDC's 82 databases, which monitor metrics like disease spread and vaccination rates, nearly half have gone dormant.

1. After gutting ACIP, Kennedy crippled the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel of experts which advises physicians on a wide range of health issues. Without any explanation, Kennedy indefinitely postponed the panel's meeting for July 2026, leaving crucial recommendations on cancer screening and depression counseling unpublished.

1. Without making a formal announcement or updating the Federal Register, Kennedy packed another crucial advisory panel with anti-vax lackeys. The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), which shapes federal autism research and support services, has recently added several members that share Kennedy's misconception that vaccines cause autism.

1. Kennedy continues to recklessly dismantle American public health preparedness by firing crucial employees working on the frontlines of America's opioid crisis. Kennedy fired over 100 employees at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which provides suicide prevention and addiction treatment services, slashing staff to less than half capacity.

1. Sowing chaos and confusion, Kennedy suddenly announced plans to cut nearly $2 billion in active grants for SAMHSA that assist Americans with access to substance use disorder treatment, medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), overdose reversal and prevention efforts, crisis response and suicide prevention, and services for pregnant and postpartum individuals. The next day, Kennedy abruptly reversed course, leaving patients and health care providers confused about the status of over 2,000 active grants.

1. As the next round of Medicare-negotiated drugs was announced, Kennedy omitted two of the best-selling, most expensive cancer drugs: Keytruda and Opdivo because of Trump's Big Ugly Bill, handing a nearly $9 billion bailout to Big Pharma. Republicans are making people with Medicare who take these life-saving drugs pay more for them.

1. President Trump announced the concepts of a health care plan, parroting stale Republican ideas to make Americans pay more for their health care, sell people junk insurance, and compromise protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Along with Dr. Oz, Kennedy is a top salesman of Trump's flawed concepts within the Administration.

1. As states scramble to implement Republicans' Medicaid cuts - the largest in history - Kennedy provided cold comfort to states when he announced that Medicaid vendors would provide some discounted services to states to implement these draconian cuts. States must pay hundreds of millions of dollars to these middlemen to update their systems so that Americans will be tied up in the Big Ugly Bill's new red tape restrictions. Many of these companies already have a proven track record of system errors that have wrongly ripped health insurance away from eligible new mothers, people with disabilities, and other working people.

1. After Trump and Kennedy spent a year destabilizing the health care market with upheaval and uncertainty, enrollment through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplaces has dropped by over 1.3 million compared to 2025. Republicans refused to extend expiring ACA tax credits, and this enrollment data lays bare the consequences. In addition to millions of working Americans now uninsured because they can't afford coverage, millions more are paying more for less, forced to choose a plan with higher deductibles and worse coverage because the tax credits expired.

1. Kennedy crony and Director of the National Institute, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, appeared before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and was unable to answer basic questions from Senator Alsobrooks and her colleagues about clinical trials that have been terminated or severely disrupted by this Administration, including research on Alzheimer's disease. According to a study by the Journal of the American Medical Association, NIH grant cuts have disrupted 383 clinical trials, with over 74,311 patients.

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