House Democrats blame RFK Jr.’s vaccine skepticism for measles deaths

Democrats on Thursday blamed Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s anti-vaccine rhetoric for the measles outbreak.

“We watch daily as the threats to this health care system that we have constructed, whether it’s talking about measles and vaccinations,” said the House Ways and Means Committee’s top Democrat, Rep. Richard Neal of Massachusetts. “We need people not to be preyed upon by demagoguery, and there should not be a politician of these very issues.”

Rep. John Larson said during the committee hearing that while people are entitled to their views on the vaccination process, “we’re not entitled to our own facts.”

“And the facts, I think, speak clearly on this,” the Connecticut Democrat said. “When I confront doctors in my community, they say they’re spending more time counseling people about taking their vaccination shots.”

During his Senate confirmation hearing in January 2025, Mr. Kennedy said, “I support vaccines. I support the childhood schedule.”

Rep. Linda Sanchez, California Democrat, said she was correct in her doubts about such comments because he “espoused numerous disproven theories that childhood vaccines, including the measles vaccines, were linked to autism, death and other adverse effects.

“Not surprisingly, we were right to be skeptical of your promise to support the childhood vaccine schedule, because at your direction, the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] removed its universal vaccine recommendations for children.”

When asked if President Trump approved his decision to end the CDC’s pro-vaccine public messaging campaign, Mr. Kennedy said, “You got a lot of misinformation.” He did not answer whether the president was involved in the decision.

Ms. Sanchez did not buy that answer, questioning why the secretary believes that drinking milk “shirtless in a hot tub with Kid Rock” is a “better public health message.” She was referring to their viral “Make America Healthy Again” video.

Rep. Claudia Tenney, New York Republican, thanked Mr. Kennedy’s “common-sense approach” to choice and pro-safety, as opposed to being anti-vaccine.

Rep. Mike Thompson said children have died from measles in large part because Mr. Trump allowed “your conspiracy theories to run our public health.”

“Americans need serious leadership, grounded in evidence and science,” the California Democrat said. “Instead, we have you and this president elevating misinformation and undermining basic public health. HHS should be led by professionals who respect science and data, listen to doctors and put patients first, not by rhetoric, not by conspiracy and not by ignoring established medical facts.”