1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

Thank you for your visible leadership in speaking out against the dangerous actions of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. I appreciate your calls for an Inspector General investigation into his removal of CDC leadership and your efforts to publicly question his decisions in recent HELP Committee hearings. These actions demonstrate your ongoing commitment to scientific integrity, and your public statement that RFK Jr. is “burning down our public health system from the inside” is a vital truth the public needed to hear. You’ve also taken real steps to avert government shutdowns that would harm health and nutrition programs, such as introducing a continuing resolution with Rep. DeLauro and pushing to protect Medicaid, SNAP, and vaccine access. However, rhetoric and oversight hearings are not enough. RFK Jr. continues to spread disinformation and dismantle the institutions meant to safeguard public health. As Chair of the Senate Appropriations and HELP Committees, you are uniquely positioned to move from criticism to meaningful constraint. I urge you to take the following actions: 1. Introduce or co-sponsor legislation requiring that HHS and CDC publish the scientific evidence and rationale behind any changes to public health guidance, including vaccines. Transparency is vital for restoring trust. 2. Lead a Senate resolution of no confidence in RFK Jr., tied to specific failings—such as the suppression of CDC advisory bodies and unsupported reversals of vaccine guidance. This resolution must serve as a foundation for broader accountability. 3. Use the appropriations process to implement enforcement mechanisms. Include conditions for federal health program funding that require independence for advisory panels and prevent political interference with science. 4. Organize a follow-up HELP Committee hearing that demands sworn testimony from affected CDC officials. Your prior oversight must be paired with visible consequences and real-time public accountability. 5. Increase transparency to constituents. I respectfully request that your office publish regular updates on the progress of oversight, investigations, and legislative remedies in response to RFK Jr.’s actions. You have long fought for the protection of women’s health, children’s well-being, and equity in healthcare access. We need that same resolve now—not just to speak against RFK Jr.’s actions, but to enact the legal safeguards that will outlast this administration. Please respond with which of these steps you will take, and a timeline for your action. Millions of Americans—including your constituents—depend on your leadership in this moment.