This morning, after I had fed the cats and my spouse, I turned on the TV to gather what I could about how the world was faring and whether I could safely leave the house either because of the weather or the state of the world. After the last exhausting election, I had promised myself that I would steer clear of media that raised my cortisol levels. Usually that meant watching Spectrum News, where you can get a complete weather report every 10 minutes along with the local news. I, for what reason I can’t fathom, clicked on to a cable news program
There it was, the Senate hearing regarding the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to the position of the head of Health and Human Services. I was transfixed.
Now I am not in any way really knowledgeable about health care except as a consumer. In fact, am probably one of the top consumers of health care in the area. And, given that, I have developed a sense of what is good care. Simply, I want my providers to be educated in the art and science of medicine that is the most current, evidence based and compassionate.
I need those practitioners on whom I have placed my trust to be part of a robust system that shares knowledge, both locally, nationally and internationally.
Even ordinary restrictions on this are countless. The diminishing number of primary care physicians, the cost and availability of medical education, the limitations set by insurance companies and politically generated laws among many other factors interfere with the delivery of quality health care.
I looked up Health and Human Services just to make sure.
Health and Human Services, formerly Health Education and Welfare, is a department in the executive branch of government that includes The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC,) which is tasked with monitoring and responding to disease outbreaks at home and abroad including those related to contaminated food. It also includes the National Institutes of Health, the research arm of HHS and the Food and Drug Administration which regulates food safety, medical drugs and devices. In addition to these HHS includes the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, management of insurance services to older adults and indigent individuals and families. The Administration on Children and Families (ACL) manages programs that provide assistance to older adults, people with disabilities, families and caregivers.
HHS is a critical part of the health care system. It needs quality employees and a director who is knowledgeable about science, medicine and management.
Now, why would this particular man be the one chosen by the new administration to be the next director of HHS?
Robert F. Kennedy has no medical, scientific or managerial background. He has established himself as an award-winning environmentalist and writer but he is also a well-known activist in the anti-vax movement, has told the world that COVID was engineered to spare those of the Jewish faith, says that his addiction to heroin gave him a clearer mind after a brain infection by a parasitic worm. He is pro-abortion and denies that HIV causes AIDS. He says that Wi-Fi causes cancer and that school shootings are caused by taking antidepressants. I watched him deny these positions today. What is the truth that he brings to this hearing?
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., was a candidate for the presidency last year. His run for the presidency was thought to appeal to the same demographic as the Republican candidate. In August of 2024, after several conversations with Trump, RFK, Jr., withdrew from the race and threw his support to Trump. Do you think there was any quid pro quo involved?
Are we that stupid? Do we bow down to the leader’s political plotting to dismantle the government by creating chaos leaving us vulnerable in matters of life and death by putting forward an individual so blatantly unqualified?
I am hoping that the Senate can overcome their allegiance to politics and think about who is best to lead the executive department most influential in the country’s health care.
A lot to take in on a Wednesday morning, when all I really wanted was the weather report and local news.
