Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has spent a long time as an outsider railing towards federal well being authorities. His complete Make America Wholesome Once more motion is predicated largely on undermining the scientific and public well being messaging from the federal authorities, together with overhauling the established order within the meals and drug industries.
However after being confirmed by the Senate and sworn in as Well being and Human Providers secretary Thursday, Kennedy is now in control of these businesses.
Listed here are 5 urgent questions he’ll face:
Will he disrupt the meals and pharmaceutical industries?
Kennedy has vowed to deal with weight problems and power illness by main adjustments to federal meals applications. Republicans who have been left uneasy about Kennedy’s vaccine feedback following his affirmation hearings praised his deal with power circumstances and unhealthy consuming.
Kennedy stated he’d wish to overhaul dietary tips and finish subsidies for junk meals and sugary drinks presently obtainable by federal applications similar to SNAP
“How are we going to tackle obesity? That is his biggest bipartisan opportunity, and to the extent that he can approach that thoughtfully, comprehensively, holistically … that would be positive for the country,” stated Anand Parekh, chief medical adviser on the Bipartisan Coverage Heart.
Kennedy has additionally attacked the pharmaceutical business, accusing it of poisoning People to make them sicker for revenue, and of spending tens of millions of {dollars} to deprave the well being businesses he’s now working.
Regardless of Kennedy’s rhetoric, the pharmaceutical business didn’t publicly foyer towards his affirmation. Firms and commerce teams have issued statements congratulating him and expressing optimism about working collectively.
Kennedy might want to stability working in a pro-business administration that usually opposes regulation, whereas additionally attempting to chop prices.
On the meals aspect, any efforts to ban varieties of meals or elements will possible face lawsuits, particularly if he tries to take away sugary drinks and ultra-processed meals from public vitamin applications.
On the drug aspect, Kennedy has referred to as for an finish to direct-to-consumer promoting for pharmaceuticals.
Will Kennedy observe by on firing tons of at NIH and FDA?
Shortly after the election, Kennedy touted a plan to fireplace tons of of staffers on the Nationwide Institutes of Well being (NIH). He considerably backed off that pledge throughout his affirmation hearings, when he promised to not fireplace individuals who have been doing their jobs
In an interview Thursday on Fox Information, Kennedy instructed Laura Ingraham “I have a list in my head,” of particular individuals to take away.
Kennedy stated that lower-level federal workers have been “public-spirited, good public servants, good American patriots, and hardworking people” who shouldn’t be afraid of shedding their jobs.
“If you’ve been involved in good science, you have got nothing to worry about,” Kennedy stated.
However the Trump administration is within the means of attempting to considerably slash the federal workforce, together with hundreds of workers throughout well being businesses.
Downsizing the businesses can have a big influence on what the administration will be capable of accomplish.
Kennedy may also want to spice up company morale within the wake of the Trump administration’s open disdain for the federal workforce. He’ll want the experience of federal staff if he needs to be a profitable HHS chief, stated Parekh of the Bipartisan Coverage Heart.
“He can bring in as many advisors or loyalists, or anything he wants, but to understand the technical aspects of [the agency], he is going to need to partner with the career civil servants,” Parekh stated. “I mean, he’s now in charge. He’s the boss, so it behooves him to inspire and motivate them, because without their efforts, his agenda will not be successful.”
How will he deal with the booming weight reduction drug business?
HHS faces a key determination deadline within the coming months about whether or not to increase Medicare protection for weight reduction medicine.
Kennedy thinks the medicine are a rip-off, and the answer to weight problems is to eat higher and reside more healthy.
In an interview with Greg Gutfeld on Fox Information in October, Kennedy steered weight reduction medicine have been being pushed on to gullible People by international pharmaceutical firms that wouldn’t even market the medicine of their residence international locations.
Overseas firms are “counting on selling it to Americans because we’re so stupid and so addicted to drugs,” Kennedy stated.
“If we just gave good food, three meals a day, to every man, woman and child in our country, we could solve the obesity and diabetes epidemic overnight,” he added.
It’s unclear what President Trump thinks, however increasing Medicare protection could be extraordinarily fashionable. Nonetheless, it additionally comes with a price ticket within the tens of billions of {dollars}, as anti-obesity medicine value upward of $1,000 per 30 days — an quantity seemingly at odds with the mandate to chop federal spending.
Nonetheless, Trump additionally put Kennedy in control of a brand new Make America Wholesome Once more fee. Concerningly for some well being consultants, the fee was tasked with assessing “the prevalence of and threat posed by the prescription of” weight-loss medicine, together with anti-depression medicine, antipsychotics, temper stabilizers and stimulants.
Kennedy has lengthy warned of the risks of anti-depression medicine referred to as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which he stated throughout comfirmation hearings are more durable to give up than heroin — a declare contradicted by analysis.
Will he make it more durable to entry abortion treatment?
One of many guarantees Kennedy made to Republican senators was to faithfully implement any Trump administration anti-abortion insurance policies, regardless of his previous help for abortion entry.
Throughout his Senate Finance Committee affirmation listening to, Kennedy indicated the administration was more likely to carefully scrutinize the abortion drug mifepristone due to “security’ considerations.
“President Trump has asked me to study the safety of mifepristone,” Kennedy stated on the listening to. “He has not yet taken a stand on how to regulate it. Whatever he does, I will implement those policies.”
The Meals and Drug Administration accepted mifepristone in 2000 to terminate pregnancies as much as seven weeks. The drug is taken along side misoprostol, a two-medication routine that constitutes the vast majority of abortions within the nation. Scientists and prime medical teams contend it has been studied extensively and confirmed to be secure. It’s been utilized by tens of millions of ladies with minimal unwanted side effects.
However sowing doubt in regards to the security of the drug suggests an alignment with Trump, and the potential for nationwide restrictions on a serious technique of abortion. He might additionally order new research and revisit the drug’s approval.
Throughout his interview with Fox after being sworn in, Kennedy stated there could be security research performed. However he didn’t say whether or not he thinks entry to the drugs must be tightened.
Will Kennedy search to eliminate fluoride in water programs?
Simply days earlier than the election, Kennedy stated on X the Trump administration would “advise all US water systems to remove fluoride” on its first day attributable to alleged well being dangers like IQ loss and neurodevelopmental problems.
Water fluoridation is a neighborhood authorities determination, and it’s unclear if Kennedy might compel municipalities to get rid of the cavity-fighting chemical. There are not any federal legal guidelines that require water fluoridation, although some authorities businesses present limits and proposals on how a lot fluoride can or needs to be in consuming water.
Nonetheless, Kennedy might withdraw fluoridation steering that the Public Well being Service issued in 2015. And Kennedy’s affect might immediate extra states to suggest limits or outright bans on neighborhood fluoridation.
Kennedy’s November social media put up was adopted by an anti-fluoridation advisory from Florida’s surgeon basic. As well as, lawmakers in 4 states have launched payments to ban including fluoride to public water programs. Laws in not less than 4 different states would make fluoride optionally available or put limits on the quantity.
