1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

Thank you for your consistent leadership in standing up for public health, science, and accountability — especially in your role questioning Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during Senate hearings. Your insistence on evidence-based answers and your defense of NIH funding and vaccine credibility have not gone unnoticed by your constituents. I am writing to urge you to publicly support S.Res.217, the resolution expressing the Senate’s lack of confidence in Secretary Kennedy’s ability to faithfully execute the duties of his office. His pattern of undermining public health institutions, disseminating vaccine misinformation, eliminating advisory committees, and proposing deep NIH cuts has validated the very concerns you raised during his confirmation. Your past efforts to challenge his dismissal of vaccine science and his disregard for the statutory functions of HHS have been critical. However, given his continued erosion of public trust and dangerous policy decisions, I believe more action is warranted. I ask that you: 1. Co-sponsor and actively support S.Res.217, reinforcing the message that this is not a partisan issue, but one of public safety and institutional integrity. 2. Lead efforts to restore or protect programs targeted for elimination, including the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and key NIH research initiatives. 3. Continue publicly pressing for transparency on his decision-making and staffing choices at HHS — especially when those decisions impact vaccine distribution, disease prevention, or scientific research. 4. Push for an oversight hearing dedicated specifically to the consequences of his leadership thus far — including his impact on immunization rates, staffing, and public health response capacity. The stakes are too high to let this be treated as business as usual. Your courage in questioning RFK Jr. when others hesitated has set a strong example. Now we need that same conviction in helping the Senate take formal action. Thank you again for your service, and I respectfully request your response on this matter.