Bernie Sanders, an icon of the progressive camp in the United States and an independent senator from Vermont, has demanded the resignation of Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert Kennedy Jr.
Senator Sanders, on the 30th (local time), in a New York Times (NYT) op-ed titled 'Kennedy must resign,' demanded that Secretary Kennedy resign, stating that he is jeopardizing the health of Americans.
He said that Secretary Kennedy and members of the Trump administration have repeatedly told us they want to 'Make America Healthy Again.' It's a great slogan. I agree, but the problem is that since President Trump and Secretary Kennedy took office, they have done exactly the opposite.
Earlier, on the 27th, Secretary Kennedy dismissed Susan Monarez, the Director General of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), just a month after her appointment. Secretary Kennedy pressured the Director to resign, arguing that the CDC was not following vaccine policies, and dismissed her after she refused.
In this regard, Senator Sanders pointed out that the Director General Monarez was dismissed because she refused to play the role of 'rubber stamp' for Secretary Kennedy's dangerous policies.
Senator Sanders also explained that one of the four senior officials from the CDC who resigned last week was pressured by Secretary Kennedy's team to 'change past research conclusions,' which seemed aimed at fitting Kennedy's anti-vaccine views.
He further asserted that despite opposition from the medical and scientific communities, Secretary Kennedy insists on anti-vaccine beliefs and conspiracy theories, noting that expert groups such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Medical Association (AMA), and the World Health Organization (WHO) emphasize the safety and efficacy of vaccines.
Senator Sanders claimed that those supporting Secretary Kennedy are not trustworthy scientists or doctors, stating, 'President Trump must appoint a Secretary of Health and Human Services and a CDC Director General who listen to doctors and scientists and will protect the health and well-being of Americans, and must not appoint someone who will pursue dangerous policies based on conspiracy theories.'