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BumRushDaShow

(157,336 posts)
Wed Jul 30, 2025, 06:21 AM Yesterday

'Dangerous and unprecedented': RFK Jr. under investigation after major purge

Source: Raw Story

July 29, 2025 7:32PM ET


Sen. Bernie Sanders on Tuesday launched an investigation into U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s purge of independent experts from a panel on vaccine recommendations. Last month, Kennedy announced that he was "retiring" all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, despite promising during his Senate confirmation hearing to keep the committee intact.

At the time, Sanders (I-VT), chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, warned that "firing independent vaccine experts is a dangerous, unprecedented move that will make it harder for the American people to access vaccines that are safe, effective, and essential to saving lives."

After the firings, Kennedy said, "We're going to bring great people onto the ACIP panel—not anti-vaxxers—bringing people on who are credentialed scientists."

In a letter sent to Kennedy on Tuesday, Sanders and seven other Democratic senators said those fears have come to pass. Kennedy, they said, has replaced the panel of experts with "prominent vaccine deniers."

Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/rfk-jr-2673782225/



Link to Senator Sanders' LETTER (PDF) - https://www.sanders.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/7.29.25-ACIP-Letter-Final.pdf
21 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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'Dangerous and unprecedented': RFK Jr. under investigation after major purge (Original Post) BumRushDaShow Yesterday OP
repubes need to purge their brain worms BoRaGard Yesterday #1
Not one person in this administration. Duncanpup Yesterday #2
Why else do you think they are trying so hard to re-write it? (n/t) OldBaldy1701E Yesterday #5
Doctors are recommending the new Covid vaccine coming this fall. Hope22 Yesterday #3
WTF we can do it Yesterday #4
My point is regarding the manipulation... Hope22 13 hrs ago #20
You do you. nt Wednesdays Yesterday #13
My point is... Hope22 13 hrs ago #21
What! He lied during a Senate hearing? It's the Repuke way. nt Phoenix61 Yesterday #6
Meaningless hearings. They all LIE,especially the last three on the SC. Bengus81 Yesterday #10
RFK Jr. needs to be impeached and removed. NOW MLWR Yesterday #7
LOL, sure. maxsolomon 22 hrs ago #15
Same as the 'Supremes' said MyOwnPeace Yesterday #8
Oh, wonderful NJCher Yesterday #9
And how does he define "great" here? calimary 23 hrs ago #14
New members - - from Groc womanofthehills 18 hrs ago #19
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Joinfortmill Yesterday #11
I don't understand why our system of government has no... 70sEraVet Yesterday #12
Because the Constitution is toothless. maxsolomon 22 hrs ago #16
It's also not the living, breathing document it was supposed to be--nor can it be, unfortunately. The country got way Karasu 18 hrs ago #17
Called it from the day he was nominated. The fact that he was even ALLOWED to be nominated tells you more than enough. Karasu 18 hrs ago #18

BoRaGard

(6,579 posts)
1. repubes need to purge their brain worms
Wed Jul 30, 2025, 06:22 AM
Yesterday

and think about acting like decent, sober, honest Americans for a change.

Hope22

(4,068 posts)
20. My point is regarding the manipulation...
Wed Jul 30, 2025, 10:05 PM
13 hrs ago

Taking a vaccine from a government department that is run by an anti vaxer seems risky. I want the vaccine to be available, clean and reliable. Pretty simple.

Hope22

(4,068 posts)
21. My point is...
Wed Jul 30, 2025, 10:08 PM
13 hrs ago

What will the anti vaxer in charge offer to people who want the vaccine. How tainted is the process with the thinning of the department? How would we know.

maxsolomon

(36,978 posts)
15. LOL, sure.
Wed Jul 30, 2025, 12:48 PM
22 hrs ago

The Democratic Minority in the House will get right on that. I'm sure there's 60 votes in the Republican-controlled Senate to convict.

MyOwnPeace

(17,355 posts)
8. Same as the 'Supremes' said
Wed Jul 30, 2025, 08:49 AM
Yesterday

about abortion being accepted policy…….

LIARS - just like their leader.

NJCher

(40,839 posts)
9. Oh, wonderful
Wed Jul 30, 2025, 09:00 AM
Yesterday
After the firings, Kennedy said, "We're going to bring great people

More “great” people.

As if there were an extra 17 vaccine experts of their calibre hanging around.

And p.s., thanks Bernie. Always diligent.

womanofthehills

(10,065 posts)
19. New members - - from Groc
Wed Jul 30, 2025, 05:13 PM
18 hrs ago

Kennedy claimed conflict of interest as some old members were past employees of Pfizer & Moderna

Grok

“U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced eight new members to the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on June 11, 2025, after dismissing all 17 previous members. The new appointees, described by Kennedy as committed to evidence-based medicine, are:

- **Joseph R. Hibbeln, MD**: A psychiatrist and neuroscientist, formerly acting chief of the NIH’s section on nutritional neurosciences.

- **Martin Kulldorff, PhD**: A biostatistician and epidemiologist, former Harvard professor, co-author of the Great Barrington Declaration, which opposed COVID-19 lockdowns and vaccine mandates for children.

- **Retsef Levi, PhD**: MIT professor of operations management, expert in healthcare analytics and risk management, has published studies on mRNA vaccine safety and cardiovascular events.

- **Robert W. Malone, MD**: A physician-scientist and biochemist, known for anti-vaccine views and skepticism about mRNA vaccine technology, aligned with Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again movement.

- **Cody Meissner, MD**: Professor of pediatrics at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine, previously served on ACIP (2008–2012) and the FDA’s vaccine advisory committee, co-wrote an editorial criticizing mask mandates for children.

- **James Pagano, MD**: A board-certified emergency medicine physician, described as a strong advocate for evidence-based medicine, with experience on hospital committees and medical executive boards.

- **Vicky Pebsworth, OP, PhD, RN**: A nurse, former consumer representative on the FDA’s vaccine advisory committee, now associated with the National Vaccine Information Center, a group advocating for vaccine exemptions.

- **Michael A. Ross, MD**: Professor of obstetrics and gynecology at George Washington University and Virginia Commonwealth University, an operating partner at Havencrest, a private equity firm, with experience on biotech and healthcare boards.

These appointments have sparked controversy, with critics like the American Medical Association and public health experts expressing concern over the inclusion of vaccine skeptics and the lack of transparency in the selection process. The new panel is set to meet June 25–27, 2025, to discuss vaccine recommendations, but with only eight members, it lacks the quorum required for voting unless additional members or temporary voting authorizations are added.[](https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/11/health/kennedy-new-members-vaccine-advisory-panel)[](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr4zyp26xn2o)[](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/13/eight-new-cdc-vaccine-advisers-robert-f-kennedy)

70sEraVet

(4,701 posts)
12. I don't understand why our system of government has no...
Wed Jul 30, 2025, 09:51 AM
Yesterday

punitive consequences in place for a nominee who flatly lies in their Senate confirmation hearing!
Nominees for the Supreme Court who say that they accept Roe vs Wade as settled law to get confirmed, then rush to overturn it!

maxsolomon

(36,978 posts)
16. Because the Constitution is toothless.
Wed Jul 30, 2025, 12:50 PM
22 hrs ago

Much of it is based on the assumption that Politicians will act with honor.

Karasu

(1,706 posts)
17. It's also not the living, breathing document it was supposed to be--nor can it be, unfortunately. The country got way
Wed Jul 30, 2025, 04:53 PM
18 hrs ago

too fucking large, to the point that it's now virtually impossible to add to or otherwise modify in any way.

Karasu

(1,706 posts)
18. Called it from the day he was nominated. The fact that he was even ALLOWED to be nominated tells you more than enough.
Wed Jul 30, 2025, 04:55 PM
18 hrs ago
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