Rising up, my mother and father at all times mentioned to my brother and me, “In case you don’t have your well being, you don’t have something.”
That’s why I’m so grateful that extra Individuals than ever have entry to high quality reasonably priced well being care this vacation season, and that’s why daily, I struggle to make sure my group, and all Individuals, can reside longer, more healthy lives.
However as I look forward, I concern Donald Trump made a very irresponsible and harmful selection by nominating Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) to steer the Division of Well being and Human Providers (HHS).
For years, RFK Jr. unfold harmful conspiracy theories and baseless lies which have already price lives, contributing to measles outbreaks and rising vaccine skepticism. This one-man disinformation marketing campaign has helped gas a nationwide surge in preventable ailments, which disproportionately harms our most weak — kids, seniors and people with compromised immune programs.
HHS is the cornerstone of our nation’s well being care and public well being programs. This division oversees Medicare, Medicaid, the Inexpensive Care Act, the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, the Meals and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Nationwide Institutes of Well being (NIH), to call a number of — applications and companies that tens of millions of Floridians and Individuals rely on daily.
But RFK Jr. has zero {qualifications} to handle an company of this magnitude.
His most reckless concepts — like slashing FDA funding, halting NIH infectious illness analysis and firing over 600 of its staff — would intestine the very establishments that maintain our households protected. RFK Jr. poses a direct menace to the well being and security of tens of millions of Individuals.
He repeatedly pedals conspiracy theories about fluoride, antidepressants, HIV/AIDS and even vowed to cease important analysis on drug improvement.
These aren’t simply fringe beliefs — they’re direct assaults on the advances we’ve made to struggle ailments, develop cures and shield public well being.
In South Florida, we all know the stakes of public well being all too nicely. We fought Zika, endured hurricanes that demanded coordinated federal catastrophe responses, and confronted waves of COVID-19 that devastated households and companies alike. This yr, in my hometown of Weston, we confronted an elementary college measles outbreak the place state well being officers confronted this extremely infectious illness with the type of anti-science propaganda that Kennedy is understood for.
HHS have to be led by somebody who believes in science, values experience and understands the pressing have to develop reasonably priced well being care — not somebody who actively, irrationally, undermines these priorities.
With RFK Jr. on the helm of HHS, we danger a rollback of important applications that maintain households afloat. One in all my worst fears is that he would be a part of the MAGA campaign to dismantle the Inexpensive Care Act, slash Medicaid funding, and repeal measures that permit Medicare to barter decrease drug costs.
These efforts would damage Floridians immediately, particularly our seniors and our low-income communities, unnecessarily rising well being care prices and leaving numerous households with out entry to lifesaving care.
RFK Jr.’s unstable management may additionally destabilize our economic system. His radical proposals and unhinged beliefs threaten to boost prices and jeopardize jobs throughout the nation. HHS regulates the well being care sector, which accounts for greater than 17% of the U.S. economic system.
As a mom, breast most cancers survivor, and somebody who spent my profession combating to develop entry to high quality, reasonably priced well being care, I can’t stand by whereas the way forward for our nation’s well being system is put in danger.
Individuals deserve an HHS secretary who’s dedicated to defending their well being — not somebody who places it in better jeopardy.
For the sake of our youngsters, our seniors and each household on this nation, I urge the Senate to reject this nomination. Our well being, our economic system, our future and our very lives rely on it.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz represents U.S. Home District 25 in Congress.
