1. United States
2. Va.
3. Letter

I am a terrified constituent asking you to do everything in your power to block RFK Jr's appointment as head of Health and Human Services. I rely on medications to treat multiple chronic illnesses to stay alive, and his proposals to disband the FDA are alarming. It is not an exaggeration to say I may not be able to vote for you in an upcoming election, because these policies could kill me. I am also particularly concerned about RFK's comments about banning vaccines, and allowing the sale of raw milk. The COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating to families, elders, our work force, and the US economy. We do not need an H5N1 pandemic to compound the damage done by COVID. RFK's proposals to legalize the sale of raw milk, end USDA oversight of food safety, and ban vaccines are a recipe for another pandemic. As much as I am concerned about the influence of pharmaceutical and food industry lobbyists on the regulatory bodies like the USDA and FDA, it is the best system we have right now. And it is infinitely preferable to going back to the pre-FDA days of chalk dust in flour and rats in sausages. I know there are many harmful policies and appointments being proposed by the next administration, and you will not necessarily be able to block all of them. I know we are all also exhausted by the first Trump administration and the pandemic. I am asking you to fight, delay, and filibuster like your colleagues have been doing to every progressive policy proposed by a Democratic administration. Perhaps your colleagues across the aisle may be convinced by the economic impact of disbanding the FDA/USDA, as well as the economic impact of an H5N1 pandemic.