RFK Jr.: ‘I Don’t Think People Should Be Taking Medical Advice From Me’

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the man Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress put in charge of the nation’s health systems, doesn’t think he’s qualified to dispense medical advice.

Kennedy, a longtime vaccine conspiracy theorist, was asked about the measles vaccine during a House Appropriations Committee hearing on Wednesday. The United States is currently facing its most significant measles outbreak in decades, one that Kennedy has tried to downplay while simultaneously touting the vaccine and several dubious alternative medicine remedies.

“If you had a child would you vaccinate that child for measles?” Rep. Marc Pocan (D-Wisc.) asked Kennedy.

Kennedy hesitated before saying “probably,” then adding that his opinion is “irrelevant” and stressing that he doesn’t want it to seem like he is advising people on how to protect their children against measles — despite the vaccine’s proven effectiveness, as well as the fact that he is literally the nation’s chief health official.

“I don’t think people should be taking medical advice from me,” Kennedy said.

“That’s kind of your jurisdiction, because the CDC does give advice,” Pocan replied.

Pocan also asked Kennedy if he would give his children the polio vaccine, which has almost completely eradicated the disease worldwide. Kennedy wouldn’t say. “Again, I don’t want to be giving advice,” he said.

The hearing comes as Kennedy guts the health systems under his control — from the Centers for Disease Control, to the Food and Drug Administration, to the National Institute of Health. 

“I do not believe the American people want less health research, more infectious disease outbreaks, and cuts to Medicaid,” Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), the ranking Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, wrote in an op-ed for Rolling Stone last month. “The administration has fired or pushed out thousands of experts and experienced staff who help keep Americans safe from infectious diseases, including Measles, HIV, and tuberculosis.”
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DeLauro was ready to grill Kennedy during the hearing on Wednesday. 

“Are you planning to break the law by impounding congressional-appropriated funds?” she asked, noting how Kennedy is cutting $18 billion from the NIH and wants to cut more. Kennedy replied by saying that if Congress appropriates the money, he will spend it, to which DeLauro emphasized that the money has indeed been appropriated.

“The White House proposal is to do very large cuts to the NIH,” Kennedy said, before somehow continuing to insist that if the money is appropriated he will spend it. “You have the power of the purse here,” Kennedy said.

“I’m not sure the administration has internalized that,” DeLauro said, noting Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought’s contention that the president can impound congressionally appropriated money. Kennedy kept repeating that he will spend money if it’s appropriated, though, and DeLauro ultimately said the committee would hold him to it.

Kennedy was again grilled about cuts to the NIH during a Senate hearing later on Wednesday.

“How many staff have been cut from the NIH’s clinical center?” asked Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) after telling the story of one of her constituents who needs cancer treatment. Kennedy said he didn’t know and he’d provide that information later, which Murray said was “not acceptable.” Murray then asked if Kennedy genuinely believes that cutting the NIH by half isn’t going to lead to more stories about Americans who cannot receive the care they need.
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“I think the cuts that are now proposed by NIH are going to hurt,” Kennedy acknowledged.

Kennedy may be confused about congressionally appropriated funding for the nation’s health management and research and how cuts are hitting the NIH, but he’s certainly correct in that it’s probably not a good idea for Americans to take medical advice from him: He recently posted pictures of himself swimming with his grandchildren in a creek where the National Park Service barred swimming due to sewage runoff and fecal contamination.