U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, who is running for an open Senate seat in Michigan, introduced articles of impeachment Tuesday against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., accusing him of endangering public health, dismantling scientific institutions, and slashing critical medical research.
Stevens, a fourth-term moderate Democrat who represents portions of Oakland County, said Kennedy has “turned his back on science, on public health, and on the American people – spreading conspiracies and lies, driving up costs, and putting lives at risk.”
“Under his watch, families are less safe and less healthy, people are paying more for care, lifesaving research has been gutted, and vaccines have been restricted,” she said. “He has driven up health care costs while tearing down the scientific institutions that keep Michiganders and families across America safe. His actions are reckless, his leadership is harmful, and his tenure has become a direct threat to our nation’s health and security. Congress cannot and will not stand by while one man dismantles decades of medical progress.
The articles charge Kennedy with “abuse of authority and undermining public health,” pointing to deep cuts to cancer and childhood-cancer research, studies into sudden infant death syndrome and addiction, and the elimination of mRNA and vaccine-hesitancy studies. Stevens also accuses Kennedy of restricting access to vaccines, withdrawing federal recommendations for COVID shots for pregnant women and healthy children, and pushing “wild and unfounded claims” to limit access to Tylenol.
But the impeachment effort is likely to fail because Republicans control the U.S. House.
Stand Up for Science, a group that supports stronger scientific standards in government, has backed Stevens and said it’s “ready ready to hold Secretary Kennedy accountable.”
“RFK Jr.’s actions are negligent and will result in harm and loss of life. He must be impeached and removed,” Colette Delawalla, the organization’s founder and CEO, said. “As a scientist and a mother, I am not willing to go back to a time before robust public health interventions. For the first time in human history, we progressed from 30% of babies not making it to adulthood to over 98% surviving to adulthood because of modern medicine and vaccines. Eliminating effective public health interventions with proven track records and dismantling evidence-based science is not the way to promote health and reduce chronic illness.”
The articles also accuse Kennedy of mismanaging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by firing the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel, calling the FDA a “sock puppet” agency, and overseeing staffing shortages that slowed the agency’s work. Stevens says Kennedy ended public comment for federal rulemaking, which public health and transparency advocates widely oppose.
Stevens previously called for Kennedy’s resignation and introduced legislation to reverse some of the research cuts. Her impeachment push comes as she campaigns for the seat currently held by U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, who is retiring.
In June, Stevens introduced a bill to prevent President Donald Trump from unilaterally deploying active-duty military forces within the United States without approval from state or territorial leaders.
Another member of Congress from Michigan, Shri Thanedar, D-Detroit, introduced articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, accusing the former Fox News host of Hegseth “murder and conspiracy to murder” for authorizing deadly strikes against boats allegedly carrying narcotics in international waters.
Thanedar also introduced articles of impeachment against President Trump, including allegations of corruption, freedom of speech violations, obstruction of justice, unlawfully gutting government agencies, and more.
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Steve Neavling
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