77 Past Nobel Prize Winners Tell Senators to Reject RFK Jr. HHS Nomination

Dozens of Nobel Prize laureates have penned an open letter to the U.S. Senate, urging lawmakers in that congressional body to reject president-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as head of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Kennedy, a noted conspiracy theorist who peddles debunked claims against vaccines and other health-related issues, would be a dangerous choice to lead the department, the letter argued, noting that his “political attacks on science are very damaging,” and that the Senators tasked with consenting to his appointment “have to stand up” against him and Trump.

“Placing Mr. Kennedy in charge of DHHS would put the public’s health in jeopardy and undermine America’s global leadership in the health sciences,” the letter-writers said.

The 77 Nobel Prize winners who contributed to the letter range from individuals who won in the 1970s to the present decade, featuring laureates in the categories of Chemistry, Economics, Physics and Medicine.

The letter detailed specific ways in which Kennedy would be a disastrous choice to lead HHS, stating:

Mr. Kennedy has been an opponent of many health-protecting and life-saving vaccines, such as those that prevent measles and polio; a critic of the well-established positive effects of fluoridation of drinking water; a promoter of conspiracy theories about remarkably successful treatments for AIDS and other diseases; and a belligerent critic of respected agencies (especially the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control, and the National Institutes of Health).

“The leader of DHHS should continue to nurture and improve — not threaten — these important and highly respected institutions and their employees,” the letter-writers added.

The Trump transition team responded to the letter by panning the Nobel Prize winners — widely regarded as individuals who are the best and most trusted in their fields — as “elites” who were trying to tell Americans “what to do and how to do it” regarding health care.

“Our healthcare system in this country is broken, Mr. Kennedy will enact President Trumps agenda to restore the integrity of our healthcare and Make America Healthy Again,” a statement from the transition team said.

As head of HHS, Kennedy would oversee 13 agencies, including Medicare, Medicaid, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and more, and would be in charge of a budget of around $2 trillion.

Trump nominated Kennedy to the position less than two weeks after he won the presidential election. Kennedy, who was once a third-party challenger in the race, dropped out and endorsed Trump over Democratic candidate for president Kamala Harris, campaigning on his behalf in the final months of the election season.

Kennedy has espoused a number of false conspiracy theories, but is perhaps best known for promoting falsehoods relating to the safety and efficacy of vaccines, often to the detriment of entire communities. In one notable example, Kennedy visited the island nation of Samoa, where he pushed the false claim that measles vaccines were dangerous, contributing to skepticism against the vaccine that was gaining traction on the island at the time of his arrival. As a result, dozens of people, mostly children, died when a measles outbreak swept across Samoa. To date, Kennedy denies any responsibility for that outcome.

While GOP senators have been largely silent about Kennedy’s credentials (or lack thereof), many Democrats have denounced his nomination to lead HHS.

“Mr. Kennedy’s outlandish views on basic scientific facts are disturbing and should worry all parents who expect schools and other public spaces to be safe for their children,” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) said shortly after Kennedy was selected by Trump.