Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed to be Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) this morning. Kennedy has faced heavy scrutiny and criticism since announcing his third-party presidential campaign. That scrutiny and attention only intensified after he endorsed Donald Trump for president, shortly after Trump survived an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Kennedy expressed his desire to reform federal health agencies and solve the chronic disease epidemic. During an interview with Tucker Carlson, Kennedy said, “You know, my uncle was president, and I was a 10-year-old boy. The rate of chronic disease in this country was 6%. Today it’s 60%. When my uncle was president, we spent zero on chronic disease in this country. There were no drugs to treat it. Today we spend 4.3 trillion, 4.3 trillion, that’s five times our military budget. It’s the largest cost to our nation, and it is bankrupting us and it is destroying us morally because we are betraying our children by letting these industries poison them.”

Kennedy has expressed his concerns regarding toxic additives and pesticides in food. He called for an end to water fluoridation in the United States following a landmark ruling against the EPA last fall. Kennedy detailed the risks of petroleum-derived food dyes and their association with hyperactivity, autoimmune injuries, depression, and ADHD. Last month, the FDA banned Red 3 more than 30 years after research showed it causes thyroid cancer when consumed by rats.

In an X post in October, Kennedy criticized corruption within the FDA and pledged major reforms upon assuming the role of HHS Secretary.

The most contentious issue during the hearings involved Senators accusing Kennedy of being anti-vaccine and supporting conspiracy theories. During an event with Tucker Carlson in the fall, Kennedy spoke about President Trump, saying, “He doesn’t want me to take vaccines away from people. If you want to take a vaccine, you ought to be able to take it. We believe in free choice in this country. You ought to know the risks and benefits of everything you take, and we need good science for that, and we need informed consent, and he asked me to do that and then he asked me to end the chronic disease epidemic in this country and he said and he said I want to see results measurable results in the diminishment of chronic disease within two years and I said Mr. President, I will do that.”

Kennedy has also said the public can expect radical transparency from the public health agencies with him in charge at HHS and return to “gold standard safety testing.” He said President Trump asked him to do three things:

“1. Clean up the corruption in our government heallth agencies. 2. Return those agencies to their rich tradition of gold-standard, evidence-based science. 3. Make American Healthy Again by ending the chronic disease epidemic.”

Kennedy said, “All of the institutions of our government have been captured by the industries that they’re supposed to regulate. The NIH, CDC, and FDA have been captured by the pharmaceutical industry and the medical cartel. People are making money on sick children and on sick Americans.”

As HHS Secretary, Kennedy will oversee several federal agencies, including the CDC, FDA, and NIH. Former Rep Dave Wheldon, MD is the nominee for the CDC, Marty Makary, MD, MPH is the nominee for FDA. Jay Bhattacharya, author of the Great Barrington Declaration, is the nominee for the NIH.

The Administration for Children and Families is another agency overseen by HHS. The ORR falls under that agency and operates the Unaccompanied Children program, which is the program that has lost track of 300,000 migrant children. The HighWire spoke with whistleblower Tara Rodas last summer about child trafficking that has occurred as a result of this government program. Kennedy was asked about the missing children during the confirmation hearings.

“Trump has spoken to me about locating the 300,000 children who disappeared in the last 4 years,” Kennedy said. “Many have been sex trafficked… it is a blight on America’s moral authority… we need to find those kids.”

Tulsi Gabbard was confirmed by the Senate yesterday to serve as Director of National Intelligence, which oversees the CIA, FBI, and other agencies. Bhattacharya, Makary, Wheldon, and others are still awaiting scheduling for their confirmation hearings.

Steven Middendorp

Steven Middendorp is an investigative journalist, musician, and teacher. He has been a freelance writer and journalist for over 20 years. More recently, he has focused on issues dealing with corruption and negligence in the judicial system. He is a homesteading hobby farmer who encourages people to grow their own food, eat locally, and care for the land that provides sustenance to the community.

Other Headlines

Coronavirus

ICAN Releases Recordings of FDA’s Peter Marks; Vaccine Official Dismissed Vaccine Injuries

The Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN) and REACT 19 held a joint press conference today to reveal a trove of secret recordings and FOIA documents of Peter Marks, the former Director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. The press conference included ICAN Founder Del Bigtree, Attorney Aaron Siri, and REACT 19’s Brianne Dressen.Continue reading ICAN Releases Recordings of FDA’s Peter Marks; Vaccine Official Dismissed Vaccine Injuries

More news about Coronavirus

Health & Nutrition

FDA Begins Process to Remove Unapproved Fluoride Drugs for Children

The FDA has begun the process of removing “concentrated ingestible fluoride prescription drug products for children” from the market. The press release said these products are intended to be swallowed by infants and toddlers, but have never been approved by the FDA. The announcement also said ingesting fluoride alters the gut microbiome, “which is ofContinue reading FDA Begins Process to Remove Unapproved Fluoride Drugs for Children

More news about Health & Nutrition

Vaccines

The FDA Will No Longer Routinely Approve COVID-19 Vaccinations for Healthy Individuals Under Age 65

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it will no longer routinely approve COVID-19 vaccinations for healthy individuals under the age of 65. Dr. Vinay Prasad, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), and Dr. Marty Makary, FDA director, co-wrote a paper for the New England Journal of MedicineContinue reading The FDA Will No Longer Routinely Approve COVID-19 Vaccinations for Healthy Individuals Under Age 65

More news about Vaccines

Science & Tech

Humanoid Robots Malfunction and Attack; Sparks Debate Over AI Safety and Liability

A viral video released from an undisclosed Chinese factory shows a humanoid robot malfunctioning and attacking the factory workers. The Unitree H1, a product of the Chinese company Unitree Robotics, can be seen flailing its arms as workers move away to protect themselves. The robot was hung on a crane, and the workers were notContinue reading Humanoid Robots Malfunction and Attack; Sparks Debate Over AI Safety and Liability

More news about Science & Tech

Environment

BioLab Ends Manufacturing in Conyers After Chemical Fire Exposed Thousands to Toxic Contamination

BioLab announced it will not restart manufacturing at the Conyers, Georgia, facility where a major chemical fire occurred last fall. The company will continue to use the facility as a distribution center with 100 employees. The HighWire reported about the September fire, which included 17,000 evacuations and 90,000 ordered to shelter in place. Last month,Continue reading BioLab Ends Manufacturing in Conyers After Chemical Fire Exposed Thousands to Toxic Contamination

More news about Environment

Policy

Senate Hearing Alleges Government and Industry Corruption Over COVID-19 Vaccines

Corruption of government officials and pharmaceutical companies was revealed during a Senate Subcommittee on Investigations hearing on Wednesday. The hearing was titled “The Corruption of Science and Federal Health Agencies: How Health Officials Downplayed and Hid Myocarditis and Other Adverse Events Associated with the COVID-19 Vaccines,” and it was chaired by Senator Ron Johnson. SeveralContinue reading Senate Hearing Alleges Government and Industry Corruption Over COVID-19 Vaccines

More news about Policy