Introduction to RFK Jr.’s Impact on U.S. Health Agencies
In just a few short months, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has begun to transform U.S. health policy: shrinking staff at health agencies, restructuring the focus of some regulators and researchers, changing Covid vaccine regulations and reshaping the mission of his department to focus more on alternative medicine.
The Driving Forces Behind the Change
The directives are all part of the same issue set that drove a slice of health-conscious, left-leaning Americans to eventually vote for a Republican president whose favorite meal is from McDonald’s, Trump and Kennedy catered to a type of voter who has grown distrustful of America’s health care establishment — but possibly fomented a new type of distrust in federal health policy along the way.
Voter Approval and the Shift in Health Policy
Bernadine Francis, a lifelong Democrat who backed Joe Biden for president in 2020 before supporting Donald Trump in 2024, told NBC News in an interview that she approves of Kennedy’s efforts so far, despite his “hands being tied” by entrenched forces in the administration and in Congress.
“From what I have seen so far with what RFK has been trying to do,” she said, “I am really, really proud of what he’s doing.”
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on Capitol Hill on May 14. (Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images file)
The Shift in Voter Allegiance
Francis is among the voters who left the Democratic Party and voted for Trump because “nothing else mattered” apart from public health, which they — like Kennedy — felt was going in the wrong direction.
Concerns about chemicals in food and toxins in the environment, long championed by Democrats, has become a galvanizing issue to a key portion of Trump’s Republican Party, complete with an oversaturation of information that in some cases hasn’t been proven. It’s wrapped up, as well, in concerns about the Covid vaccine, which was accelerated under Trump, administered under Biden and weaponized by anti-vaccine activists like Kennedy amid lockdowns and firings in the wake of the devastating pandemic.
Personal Stories and the Vaccine Mandate
“We knew in order to get RFK in there so he can help with the situation that we have in the health industry, we knew we had to do this,” said Francis, a retired Washington, D.C., public school administrator, who said she left her “beloved” career because she had refused the vaccine.
“It seemed to me, as soon as [Biden] became president, the vaccine was mandated, and that was when I lost all hope in the Democrats,” Francis told NBC News, referring to vaccination mandates put in place by the Biden administration for a large portion of the federal workforce during the height of the pandemic. There are not currently any federal Covid vaccine mandates.
Covid-19 Statistics and the Ongoing Pandemic
There have been 1,228,393 confirmed Covid deaths in the United States since the start of the pandemic, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
How RFK Jr.’s Picks Are Changing Public Health Agencies
Dr. Marty Makary, Kennedy’s hand-picked commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration and a John Hopkins scientist and researcher, told NBC News in an interview that he wants to transform the agency, which he said faced “corruption” over influence from the pharmaceutical and food industries.
“I mean, you look at the food pyramid, it was not based on what’s best for you, it was based on what companies wanted you to buy,” he said, referring to the 1992 and later iterations of official government nutritional guidance. He said there would be “entirely new nutrition guidance” released later this year, as soon as this summer.
The FDA’s Mission and Future Plans
He praised the FDA’s mission of research and regulation, saying the agency is “incredibly well-oiled, and we’ve got the trains running on time.”
He also highlighted the 75-page “Make America Healthy Again” commission report — which focused on ultraprocessed foods and toxins in the environment — as having set “the agenda for research” at the FDA, HHS and agencies overseeing social safety net programs such as Medicare and food stamps moving forward.
The Intersection of Medicine and Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Dr. Dawn Mussallem, a breast cancer oncologist and integrative medicine doctor — a physician who combines conventional treatments with research-based alternative therapies — has tried to help her patients wade through medical misinformation they encounter online and in their social circles.
Mussallem has an incredible story of personal survival: While in medical school, she was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer and, after conventional therapies like chemo saved her life, was diagnosed with heart failure. After undergoing a heart transplant, Mussallem ran a 26-mile marathon just one year later.
The Importance of Lifestyle in Health
“I learned a lot in medical school, but nothing compared to what I learned being a patient,” said Mussallem, who dedicates, on average, 90 minutes each in one-on-one sessions with her patients. “This is not about any one political choice. But we know lifestyle matters.”
For example, a new study from the American Society of Clinical Oncology that finds eating food that lowers inflammation in the body may help people with advanced colon cancer survive longer.
Conclusion
The transformation of U.S. health policy under Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a complex and multifaceted issue, driven by a desire to address concerns about public health, the environment, and the role of alternative medicine. While some voters, like Bernadine Francis, express support for Kennedy’s efforts, others may be skeptical or even fearful of the changes being implemented. As the country navigates this shift, it is essential to consider the intersection of medicine and healthy lifestyle choices, and to prioritize evidence-based decision-making in the pursuit of better health outcomes for all Americans.
FAQs
Q: What changes has Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made to U.S. health policy?
A: Kennedy has implemented various changes, including shrinking staff at health agencies, restructuring the focus of regulators and researchers, changing Covid vaccine regulations, and reshaping the mission of his department to focus more on alternative medicine.
Q: Why have some voters, like Bernadine Francis, supported Kennedy’s efforts?
A: These voters are concerned about public health and feel that the current system is not working in their best interests. They believe that Kennedy’s approach, which emphasizes alternative medicine and healthy lifestyle choices, is a necessary change.
Q: What is the role of the FDA in Kennedy’s vision for public health?
A: The FDA, under the leadership of Dr. Marty Makary, is working to transform the agency and prioritize research and regulation that supports Kennedy’s goals.
Q: How does Dr. Dawn Mussallem approach patient care and health education?
A: Mussallem combines conventional treatments with research-based alternative therapies and emphasizes the importance of lifestyle choices in maintaining good health. She dedicates significant time to each patient, helping them navigate medical misinformation and make informed decisions about their care.
