Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) called Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination to the post of Secretary of Health and Human Services “insane.”
“He is a vaccine denier and a conspiracy theorist in a tinfoil hat,” Garcia wrote in a post Thursday. Social platform.
“He will destroy our public health infrastructure and vaccine distribution system, which will cost lives.”
Earlier in the day, he warned of the dangers posed by Kennedy's leadership in a heated conversation with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) during a House hearing related to future pandemics.
At the meeting, which took place before President-elect Trump's announcement, Garcia criticized the possibility of Trump selecting Kennedy, saying that Kennedy “has been falsely believing for decades that vaccines cause autism. Mr. Kennedy has no scientific or medical qualifications, as has been claimed.”
“If this committee was about pandemic prevention, RFK Jr. could be appointed health secretary, even though he is a vaccine denier and is doing great harm to the American people. We should be very concerned about this as a country.” Garcia argued:.
“Finally, I would like to say that I am very concerned that someone who seeks to eviscerate the NIH, HHS, and other services could be appointed to lead any type of health care in this country. ”, referring to national laboratories. of health.
Other Democrats agree with Garcia.
“Mr. Kennedy's outlandish views on basic scientific facts are alarming and should concern every parent who expects schools and other public places to be safe for their children.” said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) in a statement. “When Mr. Kennedy appears on the Treasury Committee, it will become very clear what the American people stand to lose under President Trump and Republicans in Congress.”
Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-Wash.) claimed that President Kennedy would set the country back on “public health, reproductive rights, research and innovation, and many other things.” .
Despite their disappointment, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) praised Trump's choice.
“Excited about the news that the President-elect will appoint @RobertKennedyJr to @HHSGov. He helped defeat Colorado’s vaccine mandate in 2019 and will shake up HHS and FDA to make America healthy again. will help make this happen,” Polis wrote in a post to X.
nevertheless, he previously criticized President Kennedy's anti-vaccine remarks in August.
