In Senate Floor Speech, Senator Murray Raises Alarm over RFK Jr.’s Dangerous Anti-Vaccine Extremism and Conspiracy Thinking as HHS Nominee Meets with Senators this Week

ICYMI: Senator Murray Statement on Meeting with HHS Secretary Nominee RFK Jr.

ICYMI: In Seattle, Senator Murray Highlights Importance of Vaccines and Lifesaving Scientific Research, Calls Out Threat RFK Jr. as HHS Secretary Would Pose to Americans' Health and Safety - PHOTOS HERE

Murray, a longtime congressional leader on health care who has led hearings on addressing vaccine hesitancy, spoke out forcefully against RFK Jr.'s nomination

***VIDEO of Senator Murray's floor speech HERE***

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, spoke out forcefully on the Senate floor against the nomination of RFK Jr. for Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS)-making clear to her colleagues that elevating the anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist to this position would have grave consequences for American families' health and safety. Murray laid out in detail how RFK Jr. has long peddled views, and funded causes, that run counter to basic truth, facts, and scientific evidence-and there is much he could do as HHS Secretary to cause chaos and real harm to families, from firing top scientists and researchers, to ripping away the approval-or insurance coverage-of all kinds of vaccines and medicines, to ending our focus on infectious disease research, as he has threatened to do.

"This isn't a case where we can just look for areas of agreement or hope for the best," said Murray on the Senate floor. "We are talking about a conspiracy theorist who is openly antagonistic to public health, and he will have tremendous authority over Americans' lives and health care. It is not asking too much to have a Secretary of Health who believes in healthy food and believes in vaccines-especially when we are already backsliding on vaccines and seeing real and deadly consequences."

"And let's not get cute here with excuses like 'he is just asking questions.' Because when he says 'we need to know vaccines are safe'-he is ignoring the centuries of research we have already done on these vaccines. We do know they are safe!… Given his track record, we cannot just hope that if RFK Jr. finally gets power to undermine vaccines-a cause that he has, by the way, dedicated considerable time, and money, and effort to-that he'll just give up," said Murray.

Murray continued, "If confirmed, RFK Jr. would have tremendous power to undermine vaccines. He could influence FDA's approval of medicines and drugs. He could directly appoint people to CDC's vaccine board, which influences vaccine coverage and costs. He said he will fire top researchers by the hundreds and pause infectious disease research for years-a threat far beyond vaccines. And let's not downplay the fact that as Secretary, he would have one of the biggest megaphones in the world to spread anti-vaccine misinformation."

"And look, the vaccine lies just scratch the surface here. This is someone who won't accept that HIV causes AIDS. This is someone who thinks chemicals in the water 'turn people gay.' He's said that! This is someone who thinks 5G wireless is being used to 'control our behavior.' This is not someone that we, the United States Senate, should be telling the American people to trust on health care. He is not someone that should be handling the levers of power. And, for that matter, the same goes for some of Trump's other health care nominees who have ignored science and promoted false conspiracy theories," said Murray.

"Vaccines save lives. That is not a question. It is not a slogan. It is a fact. And if you cannot accept that fact… then you have absolutely no business leading the Department of Health and Human Services. None."

When President-elect Donald J. Trump first announced his intention to select Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of HHS, Murray immediately and forcefully condemned the move. Earlier this month, Murray held a roundtable discussion at UW Medicine on the importance of scientific research and vaccines-especially for children-and spoke about how Trump's pick of RFK Jr. to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) would threaten Americans' health and safety.

As a longtime appropriator and former Chair of the Senate HELP Committee, Murray has long fought to boost biomedical research, strengthen public health infrastructure, and make health care more affordable and accessible. Over her years as a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, she has secured billions of dollars in increases for biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health, and during her time as Chair of the HELP Committee she established the new ARPA-H research agency as part of her PREVENT Pandemics Act to advance some of the most cutting-edge research in the field. As Chair of the HELP Committee, Murray was also instrumental in crafting the American Rescue Plan Act, including its landmark investments in public health and health care. Senator Murray was also the lead Democratic negotiator of the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act, which delivered a major federal investment to boost NIH research, among many other investments. Murray is also the lead sponsor of the Public Health Infrastructure Saves Lives Act (PHISLA), legislation to establish $4.5 billion in dedicated, annual funding for a grant program to build up and maintain the nation's public health system across the board.

In 2019, Senator Murray co-led a bipartisan hearing in the HELP Committee on vaccine hesitancy and spoke about the importance of addressing vaccine skepticism and getting people the facts they need to keep their families and communities safe and healthy. Ahead of the hearing, as multiple states were facing measles outbreaks in under-vaccinated areas, Murray sent a bipartisan letter with former HELP Committee Chair Lamar Alexander (R-TN) pressing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director and HHS Assistant Secretary for Health on their efforts to promote vaccination and vaccine confidence.

Senator Murray's full remarks, as delivered on the Senate floor today, are below and video is HERE:

"Mr. President, when I was a very young girl, the polio vaccine was approved.

"And to this very day, I remember my mom, saying 'thank goodness!' We can now send our kids to school and not have to worry they will get sick, be paralyzed, or live in an iron lung, or worse. The relief was overwhelming.

"And that is why, the fear is so overwhelming now that Donald Trump wants RFK Jr.-an outright, unapologetic, anti-vax conspiracy theorist-as our nation's Secretary of Health and Human Services!

"Now, I want to be clear-I will not be shy about making my concerns quite plain with the American people.

"That's part of the Senate's role to advise and consent to the President's nominees. It's our job to vet these nominees and put them through a rigorous process, to determine if they are qualified to serve.

"That's why I met with RFK Jr. yesterday, so I could be direct with him about my concerns with his anti-vaccine record, and so I could discuss the other challenges our nation faces, where HHS has a really crucial role.

"I do appreciate his time, and I appreciate the opportunity to look for areas of common ground. But as I have said already, I oppose his nomination. Because, regardless of any other views he holds, his long history of explicitly anti-vaccine activism is utterly disqualifying.

"And I am not the only one who is worried. Even Trump's former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has said RFK Jr.'s agenda 'will cost lives in this country.'

"I mean, just imagine if RFK Jr. was Secretary when COVID struck-we still might not have vaccines! After all, he called the COVID vaccine the 'deadliest vaccine ever made.'

"This isn't a case where we can just look for areas of agreement or hope for the best-maybe drug costs, maybe healthy food.

"We are talking about a conspiracy theorist who is openly antagonistic to public health, and he will have tremendous authority over Americans' lives and health care.

"It is not asking too much to have a Secretary of Health who believes in healthy food and believes in vaccines-especially when we are already backsliding on vaccines, and seeing real and deadly consequences.

"We eliminated measles in 2000. But last year? We had 16 outbreaks! Whooping cough has spiked in the country and in my home state of Washington. Polio-even polio!-is making a comeback.

"These are dangerous diseases-and RFK Jr. would let them spread through our communities and schools like wildfire. And as any parent knows, when a bug goes around school, it doesn't stop there. It comes home to mom and dad, baby brothers and sister who could be at serious risk.

"So, I am here to talk some truth to the American people about the stakes here, and lay out the facts for anyone who might not appreciate the serious threat posed by RFK Jr.

"Maybe you think 'well, he's not talking about vaccines like polio or measles,' or he's 'only asking questions.'

"Except, know this: he founded a nonprofit entirely focused on attacking vaccines. RFK Jr.'s nonprofit has made videos promoting falsehoods about vaccines and autism, and sowing distrust in vaccines, especially among the Black community.

"They tried to revoke the emergency authorization for kids' COVID vaccines. They sued against measles vaccine requirements, even amid measles outbreaks. And it's not just RFK Jr.'s nonprofit that should raise alarm here.

"He has said he doesn't know if the polio vaccine caused more deaths than it prevented. Or, another example, HPV vaccines led to a huge drop in cervical cancer. RFK Jr. suggested it increases cancer risk.

"And let's not get cute here with excuses like 'well, he's just asking questions.' Because when he says 'we need to know vaccines are safe'-he is ignoring the centuries of research we have already done on these vaccines. We do know they are safe!

"And what's more, he has not just been asking questions. These are statements I'm going to give you that RFK Jr. has made-these are in his own words.

"He has said, 'I do believe that autism does come from vaccines.' He has said, 'They get the shot, that night they have a fever of 103, they go to sleep, and three months later, their brain is gone.' And, he said the COVID vaccine was the 'deadliest vaccine ever made.' These statements are not just false-they are, Mr. President, irresponsible. And they are disqualifying!

"Given his track record, we cannot just hope that if RFK Jr. finally gets power to undermine vaccines-a cause that he has, by the way, dedicated considerable time, and money, and effort to-that he'll just give that up.

"That is not believable. Especially when we know the lawyer helping him put together a team has tried to have 14 different vaccines pulled from the market himself, including, by the way, the polio vaccine!

"And if you are thinking 'well, he can't really do anything about vaccines'-you need to think again.

"If confirmed, RFK Jr. would have tremendous power to undermine vaccines. He could influence FDA's approval of medicines and drugs. He could directly appoint people to CDC's vaccine board, which influences vaccine coverage and costs.

"He said he will fire top researchers by the hundreds and pause infectious disease research for years-a threat far beyond vaccines, I would say.

"And let's not downplay the fact that as Secretary, he would have the one of the biggest megaphones in the world to spread anti-vaccine misinformation.

"Maybe you are someone who thinks, 'so what if we have more whooping cough?' Or, 'a lot of people had measles, they lived.' Well, I realize some people probably think like that because they have never seen the reality of these terrible diseases. Because vaccines have been so effective!

"A nurse recently shared online what whooping cough can do to a baby, what she has watched families go through herself. I will warn you, it was soul-crushing. First the baby can't stop coughing-not even to eat, not even to breathe. Then come seizures and strokes. Then a breathing tube, and a ventilator. And finally, a machine to take over failing heart and lung function. And then they die.

"That is horrific-that is whooping cough, and it is far from the only disease at risk of a comeback. We don't want that to happen, here in this country or around the globe.

"Let's talk about measles: it is one of the world's most contagious diseases. It easily spread by coughing and sneezing, it lingers in the air for hours, and you are contagious four days before you develop a rash, and four days after. Now before the vaccine, millions of people caught measles annually, meaning thousands were hospitalized and hundreds died, most of them mostly young children.

"But this is not just history. You want to know what RFK Jr. would do as Secretary of Health? I want you to look at Samoa. Before Samoa had a measles outbreak, he was there-he was there propping up vaccine deniers, and falsely blaming deaths on the measles vaccine.

"After Samoa had a tremendous measles outbreak with over a hundred hospitalized, and at least 83 dead-mostly kids-no apology from him. No admitting he was wrong. Instead, he doubled down, and wrote to the prime minister suggesting vaccines were part of the problem.

"That is who we want to put in charge of our nation's health care? What do we think is going to happen? How many outright lies are we going to tolerate? How many deaths before we realize this nonsense is dangerous?

"And look, the vaccine lies just scratch the surface here. This is someone who won't accept that HIV causes AIDS. This is someone who thinks chemicals in the water might 'turn people gay.' He's said that! This is someone who thinks 5G wireless is being used to 'control our behavior.'

"This is not someone that we, in the United States Senate, should be telling the American people to trust on health care. He is not someone that should be handling the levers of power. And for that matter, the same goes for some of Trump's other health care nominees who have ignored science and promoted false conspiracy theories.

"His nominee to lead the CDC is an anti-abortion extremist, with zero public health experience-unless you count peddling the conspiracy that vaccines cause autism or promoting junk health care plans.

"And then you have Dr. Oz, who has been named to lead CMS-someone who is known for pushing quack treatments, and debunked junk science, who will be shaping health coverage for millions, despite clear conflicts of interest.

"I cannot drive home enough to the United States: this is not a game. These are not political roles without consequence. They have real power over whether Americans can get basic information and care.

"Mr. President, I want to end on this note, and it is important. Vaccines save lives. That is not a question. It is not a slogan. It is a fact.

"And if you cannot accept that fact-if you cannot be honest with the American people about it, if when parents look to you, worried about their newborn, wanting to do what is best for their baby, trusting your advice as a public health leader…

"If you cannot tell them the same truth that centuries of science and experience tells us: which is that vaccines are safe, effective, and lifesaving-then you have absolutely no business leading the Department of Health and Human Services. None.

"That should not be up for debate. A vaccine denier should not be our highest-ranking health care official. Thank you."

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