Senator Blunt Rochester Slams RFK Jr. Over Firing of Key Health Task Force Leaders

Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension Committee, today released the following statement on Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s decision to fire the chair and deputy chair of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).

USPSTF is an influential panel of experts that determines what medical screenings and procedures insurance companies must cover for millions of Americans at no cost.

"For over 40 years, the USPSTF has helped Americans stay healthy by providing evidence-based recommendations on preventive services proven to improve health outcomes. Yet, since day one, RFK Jr. has hamstrung the task force. They have not met in over a year, and the agency that oversees it has lost 85% of its staff.

"This is deeply concerning because hundreds of millions of Americans currently have access to free preventative health services, like immunization, safe pregnancy consultations, and cancer screenings because of the work done by this task force. Children under 10 are the most frequent users of preventative care, and these services can save families thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs annually. Today's decision not only undermines the credibility and trust of the task force, it also denies families access to its recommendations for free life-saving screenings and treatments.

"While this news is incredibly disappointing, it is unfortunately not all that surprising. RFK Jr. has a track record of tampering with independent agencies to implement his conspiratorial, scientifically unproven ideologies - prompting bipartisan condemnation. Add this to the list of needlessly harmful decisions made by this administration's top health department."