Luján Statement on Confirmation of RFK Jr. as Nation’s Top Health Official 

RFK Jr. Has Troubling History of Pushing and Profiting Off of Misinformation and Conspiracy Theories

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Finance, issued the following statement after Senate Republicans voted to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services:

“At a time when the Trump administration is taking a sledgehammer to public health, New Mexicans deserve a chief health official who will put the health and well-being of all Americans over the Administration’s reckless and dangerous political agenda. In just a few weeks, we have seen President Trump cut spending for lifesaving medical research, lock critical Medicaid payment portals, and play politics with American lives. Mr. Kennedy’s long and troubling track record of peddling misinformation and conspiracy theories will not help make America healthier. Instead, it will only add fuel to the fire created by President Trump.

“Throughout Mr. Kennedy’s nomination process, he made it abundantly clear that he will put his loyalty to President Trump over protecting health care for American families. During his nomination hearing, I pressed Mr. Kennedy on his commitment to defend health care programs from cuts pushed by President Trump. Not only did he demonstrate significant confusion regarding Medicaid, but he also refused to protect it from cuts. Mr. Kennedy will not work to serve the American people and protect public health; he will be a rubber stamp for President Trump’s chaos, confusion, and cruelty.

“Mr. Kennedy has shown he is willing to play politics with people’s lives to serve President Trump’s political agenda. His troubling history and lack of understanding of his role will undermine our public health and put the American people at risk of a public health crisis. I will fight to ensure New Mexicans have access to quality, affordable health care, and I am committed to holding Mr. Kennedy and the Trump administration accountable for threatening the health of Americans.”

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