(Reuters) – President-elect Donald Trump chosen Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an environmental activist who has unfold misinformation on vaccines, to steer the Division of Well being and Human Companies, the US’ high well being company, he stated on Thursday.
COMMENTS:
DR. ASHWIN VASAN, FORMER COMMISSIONER OF NEW YORK CITY’S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH:
“Even though we maybe knew some of this was coming or this was coming, I’m still shocked, and I think this really does have potential devastating consequences for the health of Americans.
“There are points of our well being that solely work once we’re doing issues collectively, vaccination, protections of the environment. They solely work once we resolve collectively that we would like it to work. And whereas there are all the time issues to enhance, what I am listening to and what everybody’s stated publicly, he is inquisitive about tearing down that infrastructure … issues like tearing down the CDC. That does not solely make us much less wholesome, it makes us much less protected, as a result of the CDC is principally answerable for defending us towards well being threats.
“HHS is not just one agency, it is a series of agencies. He has no experience. He has no expertise. He is completely unqualified for the job.”
DAVE LATSHAW II, FORMER LEAD ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SCIENTIST AT JOHNSON & JOHNSON AND NOW CEO AND FOUNDER OF BIOPHY, AN AI DRUG DEVELOPMENT COMPANY:
He stated selecting RFK Jr. to steer HHS seems to be in battle with Trump’s broader priorities of streamlining authorities and enhancing effectivity, noting Trump’s picks of Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to co-lead an effort to make authorities extra environment friendly.
“Their goal is to streamline things there. The implication would be that you would have faster drug development time, lower costs in getting medicines decisions faster.
“I feel that he is very skeptical of the method, and finally may find yourself slowing lots of issues down.
“If you look at the markets, you can sort of see that the way that everyone has reacted is any companies and any programs that are either longer-term in nature or testing new or risky modalities are the ones that are really at risk.”
SENATOR PATTY MURRAY, CHAIR OF APPROPRIATIONS AND FORMER HELP CHAIR, FROM WASHINGTON STATE:
“Donald Trump’s number of a infamous anti-vaxxer to steer HHS couldn’t be extra harmful—that is trigger for deep concern for each American. There isn’t any telling how far a fringe conspiracy theorist like RFK Jr. may set again America by way of public well being, reproductive rights, analysis and innovation, and a lot else.
“The consequences here are not theoretical or superficial—health care access, coverage, research, and public health are life or death issues for people—and the COVID pandemic was an all too recent, all too painful reminder.
“The final time Donald Trump was President he despatched the uninsured price skyrocketing and did fairly probably irreparable injury to belief in public well being – and he has made clear he plans to do a lot worse in a second time period, irrespective of the results. Confirming RFK Jr. as HHS Secretary could be nothing wanting a catastrophe for the well being of tens of millions of households. I urge my Senate Republican colleagues to affix me in forcefully condemning and opposing this catastrophic nomination.”
DR. MICHAEL OSTERHOLM, AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERT FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA:
“Each sign we have now is definitely very regarding from a well being standpoint. Now we have acknowledged for a few years that Mr Kennedy does not adhere to good science in making his pronouncements about well being points.
“Immunization has continued to be the single greatest contributor of any health intervention to ensuring that babies not only see their first birthdays, but they continue leading healthy lives into adulthood.”
He famous that it’s not clear if the Senate will verify the nomination but.
DREW ALTMAN, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION KFF:
“It’s a really historic change in the kind of person appointed secretary, not unlike justice, not unlike the DNI. Historically, secretaries have been people with real experience and standing in national healthcare and he certainly is not that, and has views from outside the mainstream, and is a renegade appointment.
“Lots nonetheless to be decided by way of the assist he will get from the President, whether or not he’s in sync with the heads of the highly effective unbiased businesses in HHS, or whether or not they resist him. They nonetheless to be appointed: NIH, FDA, CDC, CMS.
“One of the very notable things about this appointment, if in fact it happens, is that he has not really ever focused on the big entitlement programs; Medicaid, Medicare, and the ACA, which are where the money is in the department, really have always been regarded as the guts of the department.
“And so the query is, as Republicans transfer to dial again the position of the federal authorities in well being and reduce federal spending to pay for his or her tax cuts, is he going to be engaged with that, or will different folks take the lead on that, the White Home, the businesses, or perhaps simply Congress? In different phrases, will he be the secretary of the entire division, or simply the elements of the division that he focuses on?”
SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE CHAIR RON WYDEN, DEMOCRAT FROM OREGON:
“Trump’s health agenda isn’t a secret: worse health care at a higher cost for American families. Trump and Republicans in Congress have a proven track record of empowering insurance companies and Big Pharma while leaving everyday Americans to foot the bill. That means higher premiums, weakened protections for pre-existing conditions, criminalizing reproductive health care, and attacks on essential health coverage like Medicaid.
“Mr. Kennedy’s outlandish views on basic scientific facts are disturbing and should worry all parents who expect schools and other public spaces to be safe for their children. When Mr. Kennedy comes before the Finance Committee, it’s going to be very clear what Americans stand to lose under Trump and Republicans in Congress.”
