Stop the Spread of Eugenics Rhetoric from Inside HHS

I’m writing to express serious concern over recent statements made by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who publicly described autism as a “preventable disease” and claimed that autistic children are a burden to their families. These comments are not only medically false—they are dangerous and discriminatory. Autism is not a disease. It is a neurotype, a natural variation in human neurodiversity, backed by decades of genetic and neurological research. The increase in autism diagnoses is not evidence of an epidemic. It’s a sign that clinicians and families are becoming better equipped to recognize neurodivergent individuals and provide meaningful support. To call that progress a crisis is to turn our backs on science and on millions of Americans. That these remarks come from the head of HHS—an agency responsible for public health policy, disability services, and medical research—raises urgent questions. This rhetoric is not fringe. It is institutional. And it dangerously echoes eugenic ideology, where disabled lives were deemed less worthy. I’m asking you to: • Publicly denounce Secretary Kennedy’s harmful statements, • Reaffirm that health policy in this country must be grounded in science and inclusion, • Stand up for the rights, dignity, and humanity of neurodivergent people. Autistic people are not burdens. They are citizens. They are artists, thinkers, problem-solvers, and contributors. When a public official misuses their platform to spread stigma, silence is not an option. Please act.