Roundup

“Everything Is On The Table” As Republicans Enter The New Year With A Government Trifecta

Republicans have been eyeing key health programs like Medicare and Medicaid for budget cuts – and now they finally have the power to push them through. For over a decade, top Republican Senators like Rick Scott pushed infamous budget proposals proposing massive cuts to Medicaid and Medicare. Recognizing just how unpopular health care cuts are among the American people, they attempted to distance themselves from radical proposals like Project 2025, but they’ve been saying the quiet part out loud ever since Trump won the election. With a Republican trifecta in charge, “everything is on the table,” from a higher retirement age to new requirements for Medicaid to cut enrollment numbers. Republican Senators are looking for savings wherever they can to pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. Don’t just take our word for it:

• Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA): “We’re Going To Look For Savings Wherever We Can, And That Might Include Health Issues.” On Dec. 16, Sen. Grassley told Axios, “I think we’re going to look for savings wherever we can, and that might include health issues. There’s hardly anything except Social Security and Medicare that can’t be on the table.”
• Rep. James Comer (R-KY): “Everything Is On The Table.” On Dec. 12, House Oversight Committee Chair Comer told CNN, “Everything is on the table. Every big expenditure over the past four years is on the table. There’s money in the infrastructure bill. There’s money in Covid bills that haven’t been spent yet. We’re going to look at that. And then you look at improper payments — that’s a big issue — where the government sends money to people fraudulently in Medicare, in Medicaid, where they send money fraudulently in unemployment insurance.”
• Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA) Called For “A Strict Work Requirement Back In All Of Those Entitlement Programs.” During a Dec. 11 House Budget hearing on the U.S. fiscal crisis, Rep. McClintock asked, “Shouldn’t we put a strict work requirement back in all of those entitlement programs for able-bodied adults?” He added that members “need to do it now.”
• Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO): “We Can Move The Retirement Age Back A Little Bit.” On Dec. 9, Rep. Alford told Fox Business, “We’ve got to right this ship and it’s gonna mean cuts. It’s gonna mean cuts to the 24 percent of the discretionary spending that we have. And it’s also going to mean looking long term at the front end of some programs like Social Security and Medicare – not taking anyone off of what they’ve paid into so far, but there is some waste, abuse, and fraud in Medicare that we can take those numbers back and add to our general coffers in our treasury. And on the front end of Social Security, I think there’s a way, when people are living longer and they’re tiring later, that on the front end we can move the retirement age back a little bit.”
• Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY): “I’m For Looking At The Entitlements.” On Dec. 6, Sen. Paul told Fox News “I’m for looking at the entitlements, the waste, everything because it’s such an enormous problem that if you put military off the table, you put entitlements off the table, all you have left is 16% of the budget. If you eliminate that, you don’t get anywhere close.” 
• Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC): Elon and Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy Are “Going To Put Everything On The Table.” On Dec. 5, Rep. Norman told Fox Business after meeting with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, “Nothing is sacrosanct. They’re going to put everything on the table” The Fox host reported, “That’s what they told lawmakers. Everything is on the table, and that includes Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.” 
• Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI): “It Doesn’t Have To Be Just The Discretionary Spending. We Can Get At Some Of The Mandatory Spending Too.” On Dec. 5, Rep. Tiffany told Real America’s Voice, “We have to do something about the over-spending in Washington, DC and start to get responsible. And by the way, it doesn’t have to be just the discretionary spending. We can get at some of the mandatory spending also. Food stamps and some of those things, that’s mandatory spending. I think some of the benefits that are paid in regards to work requirements, some of that is under the heading of mandatory spending. We can deal with some of that too.” 
• Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX): We Need A “Responsible And Reasonable Work Requirement For Medicaid.” On Nov. 20, Rep. Arrington – who leads the House Budget Committee – told reporters that he favored a “responsible and reasonable work requirement” for Medicaid. 
• Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX): “Block Grants Make A Lot Of Sense.” On Nov. 20, Senator Cornyn said of Medicaid, “We ought to look at whether we’re doing it the right way.” He said he supported “block grants,” in which states get lump sums, regardless of how many people sign up for the program. “We can’t just keep doing things the way we’ve been doing them,” Cornyn said. “I’m not advocating for Social Security or Medicare in the absence of a bipartisan consensus because we know that will be a futile effort. There’s a lot of other spending we should consider … We ought to look at whether we’re doing [Medicaid] the right way. Block grants make a lot of sense.”
• Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) Supported A Per Capita Cap On Medicaid. On Nov. 20, Rep. Guthrie told Axios he is interested in reviving a proposal from the 2017 Affordable Care Act repeal bill that would cap Medicaid spending on each enrollee, known as a “per capita cap” or allotment. “We offered Medicaid reform in reconciliation in the repeal-and-replace package, and it was per capita allotments, which didn’t cut Medicaid but it does limit the growth,” Guthrie said. “I do think it has to be discussed as part of the package [next year],” Guthrie said, adding that he hadn’t yet discussed the idea with leadership.
• Rep. Greg Murphy (R-NC) Said Congress Should Consider Block Granting Medicaid. On Nov. 14, Rep. Murphy, a member of the GOP Doctors Caucus who sits on the Ways and Means Committee, reportedly told Politico that Congress needs to consider block grants for Medicaid.

RFK Jr. and Dr. Oz Are Just the Tip of the Iceberg With Latest Round of Nominations by Donald Trump Hammering Home the GOP’s War on America’s Health Care

Over the last several weeks, Donald Trump has made selections for key health care leadership positions by nominating Marty Makary for FDA Commissioner, Dave Weldon for CDC Director, Janette Nesheiwat for Surgeon General, Jay Bhattacharya for NIH Director, and Jim O’Neill for Deputy Secretary for HHS. In response to these disastrous picks, Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse issued the following statement: 

“While Donald Trump’s celebrity health care nominees are making headlines, the lesser-known but just as rotten nominees might be flying under the radar. Beyond the notorious conspiracy theorists RFK Jr. and Dr. Oz, these anti-science health care nominations have the potential to completely unravel our health care system and cost people their lives. These nominations indicate that Trump is all in on his mission to cut critical public health programs, undermine research for diseases, and throw the health care system into chaos.” 

Marty Makary

for Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner

Marty Makary Supports RFK Jr.’s Bogus Science Claims and Has Plans To Overhaul The FDA. Makary called for a complete overhaul of the FDA’s leadership and culture, echoing RFK’s plans for the Department of Health and Human Services. He has also backed the new Department of Government Efficiency’s criticism of work from home policies for some government positions. If confirmed by the Senate, Makary will be responsible for the agency that approves annual cold and flu vaccinations, continuously evaluating safety concerns for ongoing drug therapies, and food safety that has been a popular target by RFK. Markary worked with Trump health officials during his first term where he advised on medical price transparency laws and has formed a relationship with RFK praising his plans for challenging long-held food and health care standards that he blames for contributing to chronic disease. In a Fox News interview, he said, “The food supply is poisoned and kids are growing up in a toxic environment. And we are drugging kids at scale. As the American Academy of Pediatrics is pushing Ozempic on 6 year olds.” 

Abortion Will Be At Risk With Marty Makary’s Power Over Approval Of Abortion Drugs. During a Fox News interview with Tucker Carlson, Makary falsely stated that fetuses can feel pain between 15 to 20 weeks and actively resist abortions from being performed. This is a gross example of misinformation. While it is contentious when fetuses can feel pain, it is largely accepted that the development of brain structures that allow pain to be felt are not developed until the third trimester. The FDA is tasked with regulating Mifepristone, an abortion drug that the right is attempting to restrict.

Marty Makary Critiqued The COVID-19 Pandemic Response. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Makary spoke against many pandemic responses saying they went too far. In a 2021 Wall Street Journal op-ed, he said the CDC’s school masking mandate was “abusive.” He also criticized the government officials for being too quick to dismiss alternative methods to combatting the pandemic, specifically natural immunity by letting people get infected with the virus. Makary also condemned the FDA’s recommendation of boosters for young people due to the higher risk of myocarditis seen in young people. However, cases of myocarditis due to COVID-19 vaccinations are rare. Makary also criticized the agency for bypassing advisory committee approval for vaccine boosters for children aged 12 to 15. Simultaneously, he faulted the FDA for not approving a vaccine sooner and called for early access to be made available for the antiviral drug molnupiravir before receiving full authorization.

Dave Weldon

for Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) Director

The CDC “Is In Big Trouble” With RFK Jr.-Aligned Former Republican Congressman David Weldon In Charge. Weldon is a former GOP member of Congress from Florida; he spent nearly 15 years in Congress from 1995 to 2009, and served as a member of the hard-right Republican Study Committee. One reporter wrote that the CDC “is in big trouble” with Weldon in charge, and Trump’s nomination announcement proudly proclaimed, “Dave will proudly restore the CDC to its true purpose, and will work to end the Chronic Disease Epidemic.” Not only does Weldon share many of Kennedy’s anti-choice and anti-vaccine beliefs, but Kennedy has also cited Weldon’s advocacy work in his own arguments against the CDC, reportedly referring to the agency as a “subsidiary of the pharmaceutical industry.” A prominent anti-vaccine advocate who worked closely with Kennedy during his 2024 presidential campaign publicly applauded Weldon’s appointment.

Weldon Supports Dangerous Anti-Vaccine Conspiracy Theories Just Like RFK Jr. and Has Big Plans To Revamp Vaccine Recommendations – With Far-Reaching Consequences For Hundreds of Millions of Americans. Ever since Trump nominated Weldon, health experts have raised alarms about him being a “persistent skeptic” of vaccines. Most notably, Weldon has argued time and again that there are links between vaccines and autism. When confronted with evidence to the contrary, Weldon stated that it was “based on preliminary incomplete information, and may ultimately be repudiated.” He has also implied that there might be “some underlying trait” in certain children that could be activated through vaccination – a completely baseless claim. Weldon has expressed interest in completely revamping vaccine safety review and recommendation protocols, and he has repeatedly voiced “serious reservations about the independence of the federal government’s vaccine safety review process,” as far back as 2007. The CDC director has the power to veto the process of recommending vaccines, which is usually guided by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Weldon’s nomination could have huge consequences for hundreds of millions of Americans; under the Affordable Care Act, health insurers are required to cover all vaccines recommended by ACIP for free, and the Inflation Reduction Act expanded the slate of free vaccines to people on Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP.

Weldon Is An Anti-Choice Extremist Who Spearheaded A Key Amendment Used By The First Trump Administration To Withhold Federal Funding From California Over Abortion Care. While serving in Congress, Weldon worked tirelessly on anti-choice efforts. He introduced protections for health care workers and organizations refusing to provide abortions to patients, codified as the Weldon Amendment – which has subsequently been attached to every HHS spending bill in Congress since 2005. The Guttmacher Institute found that the Weldon Amendment “emboldens health insurance plans, health care institutions and medical providers to deny abortion services and coverage … often under the rubric of protecting ‘conscience’ or ‘religious freedom.’” In 2020, the Trump administration even used the Amendment to withhold $200 million in federal Medicaid funds from California, alleging that state-mandated abortion coverage violated the Amendment. Weldon worked to ban late-term abortions and permanently ban patenting human embryos as well. During a 2012 debate, Weldon also argued that abortion access infringes on religious freedoms.

Janette Nesheiwat

for Surgeon General

Right-Wing Personality Janette Nesheiwat Has Close MAGA Ties. Nesheiwat, a former Fox News personality who spent at least five years with the network, has close MAGA ties to Trump’s orbit, regularly posting pictures on social media featuring the president-elect. Her sister Julia served as homeland security advisor during the first Trump administration and held senior positions in the Bush administration. Julia’s husband – Janette’s brother-in-law – is Florida Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL), who Trump recently nominated to be National Security Advisor. 

Nesheiwat Has A Record of Spreading Anti-Trans Rhetoric. As a Fox News personality, Nesheiwat has spent years pushing back against trans health care, in one instance calling a recommendation made by the American Academy of Pediatrics’ that transgender Americans receive gender-affirming care “unethical.” She has also attacked trans athletes on social media, posting on X, “This calls into question the character of the trans athlete who knows they have a significant biophysical advantage. Instead of pushing to compete with a fraudulent advantage, fight for fair creation of a division for trans athletes. Otherwise you destroy the sanctity of sport.” She also criticized the Biden administration for focusing “on transgender affirming care rather than active disease outbreaks with looming drug resistance.”

Unlike RFK Jr., Nesheiwat Is Generally Pro-Vaccine, But Has Clashed With CDC Guidance. In a clash with Trump’s nominee for HHS Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Nesheiwat has been an advocate for vaccines throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. As a family medicine physician and one of five Medical Directors with CityMD, she treated many patients with COVID-19 and called the vaccine “our path out of the pandemic,” and “nothing short of miraculous.” She has also advocated for the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. She called for mask mandates in schools in August 2021. Earlier this year, however, Nesheiwat criticized the CDC’s guidance about COVID-19 vaccines, reportedly declaring that the vaccine’s risks outweigh the benefits for young people.

Nesheiwat Is A Grifter Just Like Trump and Dr. Oz. Just like Dr. Oz, who has spent decades grifting off of pseudoscience and promoting do-nothing supplements as a TV doctor, Nesheiwat uses her platform to promote dietary supplements she formulates and sells online. In 2022, she reportedly launched a supplement product called B-C Boost, claiming it “help[s] strengthen and boost your immunity.” She also wrote a book about “miracles in medicine.”

Jay Bhattacharya 

for National Institutes of Health Director

Bhattachara Rose To Prominence As A COVID-19 Skeptic. Bhattacharya made a name for himself during the COVID-19 pandemic as a leading skeptic of public health efforts. In October 2020, he called on various state and local governments to “roll back” COVID-19 lockdown protocols. He also penned numerous articles downplaying the deadly virus. He co-authored a study saying that risks of COVID-19 were overstated, and wrote in a 2020 paper that scientific breakthroughs stagnated because scientists were wrongly focused on being cited by other researchers.

Bhattacharya Pushed for Major Shakeups In NIH. In the past, Bhattacharya has advocated for major shakeups of the health department and argued that top NIH officials hold too much influence within the agency. In 2018, he wrote in a working paper that NIH could “do more to promote innovative science,” saying that scientific and political considerations may have led to inadequate funds for exploration into new ideas.

Jim O’Neill

for Deputy Secretary of Health & Human Services

O’Neill Is A “Super Duper Pharma Friendly” Silicon Valley Shill With No Regard For Drug Efficacy. O’Neill, who has been described by journalists as “a super-duper Pharma friendly Deputy Secretary,” holds close ties to the pharmaceutical industry and served as a senior HHS official during the Bush administration. A Silicon Valley investor, O’Neill’s nomination was pushed by tech billionaire Peter Thiel and his MAGA Silicon Valley affiliates. O’Neill has been critical of the FDA, once reportedly calling for the agency to approve drugs based only on safety concerns and to later determine the drugs’ efficacy.

Medicaid Cuts Top Priority for MAGA Republicans, Putting the Lives of Millions At Risk

Trump is doubling down on his agenda to devastate health care for millions of Americans. For the last 59 years, Medicaid has been a pillar of our public health system, saving lives, keeping hospitals open, and improving the well-being of countless Americans. It covers one in four Americans, including kids, moms, seniors, people of color, rural Americans, and people with disabilities. But Trump and his allies in Congress have vowed to cut Medicaid and other vital programs in order to fund tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans — and they are not skipping a beat to get it done. News coverage makes clear that, if Trump gets his way, coverage would be ripped away from millions and the entire health care system would be thrown into chaos. 

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

• U.S. Representative Jodey Arrington (R-TX-19), a Republican who leads the House Budget Committee, told reporters last week that he favored a “responsible and reasonable work requirement” for Medicaid, which translates to millions losing their coverage.
• U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), another Republican from Texas, said of Medicaid, “We ought to look at whether we’re doing it the right way.” He said he supported “block grants,” in which states get lump sums, regardless of how many people sign up for the program. Studies show block grants would slash Medicaid funding and put coverage in jeopardy for millions of people. 
• U.S. Representative Brett Guthrie (R-KY-02), one of two leading contenders for Energy and Commerce chair, told Axios he is interested in reviving a proposal from the 2017 Affordable Care Act repeal bill that would cap Medicaid spending on each enrollee, known as a “per capita cap” or allotment. “We offered Medicaid reform in reconciliation in the repeal-and-replace package, and it was per capita allotments, which didn’t cut Medicaid but it does limit the growth,” Guthrie said. “I do think it has to be discussed as part of the package [next year],” Guthrie said, adding that he hadn’t yet discussed the idea with leadership.

HEADLINES

The New York Times: Medicaid May Face Big Cuts and Work Requirements. “Republicans could face political resistance in efforts to cut Medicaid, especially because it has so many enrollees — millions more than Medicare… In 2017, Republicans faced a major backlash for trying to roll back the Obamacare Medicaid expansion… Faced with such a large funding reduction, some states may stop participating in the Medicaid expansion, experts said. A Medicaid work requirement would also target adults who were added in the expansion (although most of them are already working).” [NYT, 11/20/24]

HuffPost: Health Insurance For Millions Is Now Officially At Stake — Again. “… several high-ranking Republicans on Capitol Hill told Politico big cuts to Medicaid should be on the agenda… Philosophically, they believe that downsizing and reshaping these programs is the right thing to do. And as a practical matter, they will be looking for ways to offset at least some of the cost of their proposed tax cuts, which could show up as several trillion dollars worth of lost revenue on the federal government’s ledger… The biggest pot of money in the federal budget goes to the big entitlement programs. And although Trump has pledged to protect Medicare and Social Security, he has made no equivalent guarantees about either the Affordable Care Act or Medicaid.” [HuffPost, 11/20/24]

The Washington Post: Trump Allies Eye Overhauling Medicaid, Food Stamps in Tax Legislation. “House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) told reporters Wednesday that a “responsible and reasonable work requirement” for Medicaid benefits resembling the one that already exists for food stamps could yield about $100 billion in savings… If Congress balks at lowering Medicaid spending, Republicans may be able to reduce it anyway. While Trump vowed to protect Medicaid as a candidate during his 2016 presidential bid, the first Trump administration allowed 13 GOP-led states to add work requirements to their Medicaid programs, a controversial change that was the focus of legal battles.” [The Washington Post, 11/18/24]

Axios: GOP Weighs Medicaid Overhaul In Reconciliation. “Why it matters: Changes could significantly reshape the safety net program that covers more than 70 million people, saving money but also potentially leading to significant coverage losses. Driving the news: Perhaps the most likely Medicaid change is imposing work requirements on recipients, according to GOP sources.” [Axios, 11/20/24] 

The Guardian: Trump Advisers Contemplating Cuts to Medicaid and Other Welfare Programs. “The cuts could mean new work requirements and spending caps… Republicans fear triggering a political backlash by slashing programmes that serve an estimated 70 million Americans to pay for a tax cut that disproportionately benefits the wealthy. The 2017 tax cuts were criticised for being skewed in favour of the rich, with households in the top 1% income bracket receiving a reduction of $60,000 in 2025, compared with less than $500 for those in the bottom 60%, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.” [The Guardian, 11/18/24]

Vox: Trump Proposed Big Medicaid and Food Stamp Cuts. Can He Pass Them? “Trump has promised not to cut Medicare, much as he did in 2016, and while his budgets as president did envision spending reductions, they were mostly minor and came from cutting provider payments rather than limiting eligibility. He did, repeatedly and explicitly, propose cutting Medicaid… Trump waffled on how clear he wanted to be in calling for Medicaid cuts. His 2021 budget was too vague for the CBO to even model… There is not much room to cut Medicaid without reducing access to the program.” [Vox, 11/6/24]

On November 14th, Donald Trump took a dangerous step for Americans’ health by nominating anti-vaccince conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to run the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). For years, Kennedy has spouted dangerous anti-vaccination beliefs and spread baseless lies about fluoride in the water supply. While on the campaign trail, he promised to stop research on drug development and infectious diseases. RFK Jr. is a MAGA loyalist who will put the personal interests of Donald Trump ahead of the needs of the American people. The truth is that RFK Jr. is unqualified to lead HHS and radically out of step with the American people. If confirmed, he will be a disaster for our public health. But don’t just take our word for it:

Dr. Mandy Cohen, CDC Director: RFK Jr. Will Take Us “Backwards.” “I don’t want to go backwards and see children or adults suffer or lose their lives to remind us that vaccines work, and so I’m concerned.” [11/14/24] 

Kathleen Sebelius, Former Health and Human Services Secretary: RFK Jr.’s Nomination Is “Terrifying For The American Public”. “To have someone coming into a scientific agency that is a vaccine skeptic and may well undo decades of public health work, I think, is terrifying for the American public who rely on HHS from cradle to grave for resources, for information, for public health, for oversight of our food and medicines. That, to me, is a very frightening aspect for the American public.” [11/15/24]

Dr. Richard Besser, Former Acting CDC Director,  President and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Having RFK Jr. Lead HHS “Is Extremely Dangerous.” “But to keep lifting up the idea that [the cause of autism] has something to do with vaccination is really a cruel thing to do. It’s pushing the idea that vaccines should be something that is totally up to the individual. We have a social contract in our country. There are things we do for our own health, but there are things we do that are good for ourselves, our families and our communities, and vaccination falls into that category and having somebody who denies that in that role is extremely dangerous. I am outraged because lives are at stake here. The head of Health and Human Services touches programs that affect every single life in our country. To have someone leading HHS who is one of the biggest deniers of vaccines in our country, would undermine the confidence in that program and likely would cost lives.” [11/17/24]

Josh Sharfstein, Former FDA Deputy Commissioner and Public Health Professor at Johns Hopkins University: RFK Jr. Is a “Purveyor of Falsehoods.” “He is a purveyor of falsehoods and he has nothing but contempt for people who work in agencies and have devoted their careers to using science to improve health.” [11/14/24]

Dr. Ashish Jha, Dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, Former Biden Administration COVID-19 Coordinator: RFK Jr. is an “Extraordinarily Bad Choice for the Health of the American People.” “This is an extraordinarily bad choice for the health of the American people. The HHS Secretary shapes health policy in profound ways. He would oversee Medicare for instance  — and determine and shape your parents and grandparents’ health insurance. He and people he appoints would oversee the agency that decides what medicines are available to the American people. His ideas may sound good on bumper stickers but are unserious and often downright harmful. Our healthcare system is far from perfect. But it has spurred so much progress that has benefitted the American people. This appointment, if confirmed, puts all of that at risk.” [11/14/24]

Georges C. Benjamin, Executive Director of the American Public Health Association: “The American People Deserve Better.” “Unfortunately, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has demonstrated a consistent lack of willingness to listen, learn, and act in the best interest of the health of the American people. He was identified in 2021 as a member of the ‘Disinformation Dozen’ that produced 65% of the shares of anti-vaccine misinformation on social media platforms that contributed to the public’s mistrust in science and likely led to morbidity and mortality. The American people deserve better than Mr. Kennedy. We need an HHS secretary under the Trump administration who will listen to science, not discredit it.” [11/18/24]

Jonathan Reiner, MD, Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at George Washington University Hospital and Professor of Medicine at George Washington University: RFK Jr. Is “Unfit” to Lead HHS. “He fits with the pattern we’ve seen this week… the hiring of people that are not just unqualified… but unfit. Mr. Kennedy has already shown over the last ten years his penchant for not just promoting unproven ideas but promoting disproven ideas. He has loudly promoted conspiracy theories such as the COVID virus being bioengineered to spare Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese [people], he’s promoted the completely disproven concept that vaccines are connected to autism, he’s been a loud not just skeptic but denier of the safety and efficacy of all vaccines, most recently mRNA vaccines… So basically we’re putting not just a vaccine denier but a science skeptic in charge of all of the nation’s premier health agencies.” [11/14/24]

Dr. Andrea Love, Immunologist, Microbiologist: “The Damage He Could Do Is Near Infinite.” “Honestly, if you look at the purview of HHS Secretary, the damage he could do is near infinite. And none of his long history gives any indication he will actually do anything to improve health, especially for those of lower socioeconomic status. I can honestly say it has never been this bad… [He could] skew, redirect, and reallocate grant and research funding [toward] fringe research,… cut funding for education and public health initiatives like vaccine campaigns or other public health interventions like fluoridation,… [and slow or halt regulatory approval] for vaccines, biologics, immunotherapies, and other critical medical interventions.” [11/15/24]

Torney Smith, Spokane Regional Health District Administrator: RFK Jr. Doesn’t Understand Public Health “At All.” “I have some early grave concerns. We know enough about Kennedy to understand that he is a person who does not believe in immunizations. He’s an individual that I don’t think understands public health at all. And to put a person like that in charge is reckless, in my opinion.” [11/15/24]

Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group: “The Consequence Will Be Fatal.” Kennedy could use HHS “to pursue the same anti-science positions on life-saving public health interventions that he has advanced previously. If this makes families hesitate to immunize against the deadly diseases that threaten children, the consequence will be fatal for some.” [11/15/24]

Sean O’Leary, Chair of the Committee on Infectious Diseases for the American Academy of Pediatrics: “We Will Have Preventable Deaths.” “My fear is that children and the public will be harmed by an assault on science. We will see more measles, more pertussis. We will have preventable deaths based on politics and misinformation.” [11/14/24]  

Timothy Caulfield, Professor in the Faculty of Law and the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta: RFK Jr. Will Cause “Generational Harm.” “Horrifying. A genuine catastrophe. This is a person who has spread deadly lies and conspiracy theories. He ignores evidence. He ignores experts. I have no doubt that he will do great harm—generational harm—to public health, trust in science, and biomedical research. Moreover, at the international level, he will platform, normalize, and legitimize pseudoscience and health misinformation, making it more ubiquitous and difficult to fact check.” [11/15/24]

Robert Weissman, Co-President of Public Citizen: RFK Jr. Is A “Clear and Present Danger.” “Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is a clear and present danger to the nation’s health. He shouldn’t be allowed in the building at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), let alone be placed in charge of the nation’s public health agency. Donald Trump’s bungling of public health policy during the Covid pandemic cost hundreds of thousands of lives. By appointing Kennedy as his Secretary of HHS, Trump is courting another, policy-driven public health catastrophe.” [11/14/24]

U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), U.S. Representatives Angie Craig (D-MN-02), Haley Stevens (D-MI-11), Greg Landsman (D-OH-01), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-09), And Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers Headlined “Lower Costs, Better Care” Bus Tour Events

On the sixth and final week of Protect Our Care’s nearly 12,000-mile “Lower Costs, Better Care” bus tour, “Care Force One” made stops in five states to make sure everyone understands how they continue to benefit from legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act and the Affordable Care Act – while also making it clear the stakes for American health care have never been higher. During each stop, national and local elected officials, health care advocates, and storytellers sounded the alarm about the threat Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans pose to American health care. MAGA Republicans want us to go back to the days when insurance companies made the rules and could deny people coverage. As Republicans fight to raise costs on working families, deny coverage for pre-existing conditions, and repeal the Inflation Reduction Act and Affordable Care Act, the Biden-Harris administration continues to improve access to quality and affordable health care.Over six weeks, Care Force One traveled to more than 17 states, made more than 50 stops, and traveled nearly 12,000 miles.

Watch All Bus Tour Stops Here

BURNSVILLE, MINNESOTA

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by Senator Amy Klobuchar and Congresswoman Angie Craig, state legislators, and health care advocates at the Dakota Child & Family Clinic in Burnsville, MN to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans.

Coverage:

• Red Lake Nation News: Senator Amy Klobuchar and Congresswoman Angie Craig Headline “Lower Costs, Better Care” Bus Tour Stop in Burnsville, Minnesota

Watch the event here.

ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by State Senator Liz Boldon, and health care advocates in Rochester, MN to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans.

Coverage:

• KIMT: Bus tour advocates for affordable health care
• Red Lake Nation News: Senator Liz Boldon Headlines “Lower Costs, Better Care” Bus Tour Stop in Rochester, Minnesota
• KAALTV: “Protect Our Care” bus tour visits Rochester

Watch the event here.

BELOIT, WISCONSIN

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, Governor Tony Evers, and health care advocates at Armstrong Park in Beloit, WI to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans.

Coverage:

• Beloit Daily News: Baldwin, Evers stop in Beloit to tout health care advances
• MyStateline.com: Wisconsin: Baldwin, Hovde opposed on abortion rights, Affordable Health Care Act
• WMTV: One week from Election Day, Wisconsin Senate candidates on campaign trail
• WQRF (FOX): Senator Baldwin stops in Beloit to Discuss Affordable Healthcare, Abortion Rights

Watch the event here.

KENOSHA, WISCONSIN

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by Governor Tony Evers, Former Congressman and Wisconsin Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, and health care advocates at Kenosha Union Club in Kenosha, WI to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans.

Coverage:

• WisPolitics: Protect Our Care: Evers headlines “Lower Costs, Better Care” bus tour stop in Kenosha, Wisconsin

Watch the event here.

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MICHIGAN

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by U.S. Representative Haley Stevens, and health care advocates at Congregational Church of Birmingham in Bloomfield Hills, MI to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans.

Coverage:

• Alternative Fix: Protect Our Care Bus Travels Across the U.S.

Watch the event here.

CINCINNATI, OHIO

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by U.S. Representative Greg Landsman, and health care advocates at Washington Park in Cincinnati, OH to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans.

Watch the event here.

CLEVELAND, OHIO

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by City Council President Blaine Griffin, and health care advocates at Willard Park in Cleveland, OH to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans.

Watch the event here.

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by Former Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, State Representative Arvind Venkat, MD, and health care advocates at City/County Building Portico in Pittsburgh, PA to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans.

Watch the event here.

TOLEDO, OHIO

Protect Our Care’s Care Force One was joined by U.S. Representative Marcy Kaptur, and health care advocates at University of Toledo Medical Center in Toledo, OH to highlight how the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats in Congress have delivered on their promise to drive down health care costs and how health care remains under threat by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans.

Coverage:

• WTVG: Congresswoman Kaptur to join Protect Our Care’s “Lower Costs, Better Care” bus tour

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: a second Trump presidency would rip away coverage from millions and dramatically raise the cost of health care. Yesterday, House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed the MAGA agenda for health care includes “no Obamacare.” This should come as no surprise – Trump’s plan all along was to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which would be devastating for millions of Americans. After months of lies from the campaign about Trump’s health care record, MAGA Republicans are finally admitting they want to repeal the ACA and rip away health care from millions of Americans, destroy protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and raise costs for working families. The threat that the ACA faces is the same, if not greater, than in 2016, and this election will make all the difference for the health and well-being of the American people.

Additional Resources

• MEMO: Don’t Be Fooled By Trump’s Lies On The Debate Stage – He Is An Existential Threat to Our Health Care
• STATEMENT: Trump Lies About His Goal to Repeal the ACA and Throw the Health Care System Into Chaos
• FACT SHEET: 14 Years Later, The Affordable Care Act Is Woven Into the Fabric of America
• FACT SHEET: Donald Trump Escalates Threats to Repeal the ACA and Rip Health Care Away From Millions
• REPORT: The MAGA Republican War on American Health Care

Coverage

Sahil Kapur, MSNBC, ‘Morning Joe’: “What’s at stake? This law has extended coverage to more than 45 million people in the U.S.”

Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Kimmel Live: “If someone who works for you, let’s say it’s your barber, promises to present you with a plan for trimming your hair. Over and over again for nine years and never does. You’d probably fire that person… because your hair would be down to your ass.”

NBC News: House Speaker Mike Johnson Criticizes Obamacare And Promises ‘Massive Reform’ If Trump Wins.

• “House Speaker Mike Johnson took a dig at Obamacare at an event in Pennsylvania on Monday, telling a crowd there would be ‘massive’ health care changes in America if Donald Trump wins the election. ‘Health care reform’s going to be a big part of the agenda. When I say we’re going to have a very aggressive first 100 days agenda, we got a lot of things still on the table,’ Johnson, R-La., said in Bethlehem as he campaigned for GOP House candidate Ryan Mackenzie, according to video obtained by NBC News.”
• “‘No Obamacare?’ an attendee asked Johnson, referring to the law Democrats passed in 2010, also known as the Affordable Care Act. ‘No Obamacare,’ Johnson responded, rolling his eyes. ‘The ACA is so deeply ingrained, we need massive reform to make this work, and we got a lot of ideas on how to do that.’ Johnson held a back-and-forth about health care with the audience at Monday’s campaign event in Pennsylvania, saying that physician members in the House Republican caucus had ‘a menu of options’ for how to revise the system and ‘take government bureaucrats out of the health care equation.’ He didn’t detail what changes he would seek, but he made it clear that deregulation would be part of it.”

The Washington Post: Mike Johnson Vows Major Changes To Affordable Care Act If Trump Wins Election.

• “House Speaker Mike Johnson pledged ‘massive reform’ of the Affordable Care Act if Donald Trump is elected president, reopening a politically sensitive policy issue for Republicans a week before Election Day.
• “The Affordable Care Act, which Democrats enacted in 2010, has become one of the party’s more popular achievements after initially being perceived as a political liability. Sixty-two percent of adults had favorable views of the law in April, up from 38 percent a decade earlier, according to polling by KFF, a nonprofit health policy research, polling and news organization. The law also has transformed the nation’s health-care landscape. The White House last month touted data showing that nearly 50 million Americans have obtained health coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchanges since they were established more than a decade ago, helping to lower the national uninsured rate to record lows in recent years.”
• “Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, has promised to expand enrollment through the law if elected president. Republicans, meanwhile, mounted dozens of efforts in Congress to overturn the law, and Trump won the presidency in 2016 by pledging to ‘repeal Obamacare.’ But several Trump-led repeal efforts fell short — with the Senate in July 2017 coming one vote away from overturning the Affordable Care Act — and the law’s near-death catalyzed new support for it.”
• “Johnson ‘finally told the truth about Donald Trump and his MAGA Republican allies’ agenda for health care in their first 100 days. They want to repeal the ACA,’ Leslie Dach, the chairman of Protect Our Care, a Democratic-aligned health-care advocacy group, wrote in a statement.”

New York Magazine: Helping Kamala Harris, Mike Johnson Vows to Kill Obamacare.

• “Worse yet, Johnson’s remarks very strongly suggest two things that are potentially dangerous to Trump in the eyes of swing voters: (1) He plans to make repealing Obamacare an immediate priority if Trump wins and Republicans control Congress, which likely means it would be rolled into a gigantic budget-reconciliation bill and steamrolled through to passage if possible, and (2) his party’s designs on health-care policy are radical, meant to replace the regulations central to Obamacare’s coverage guarantees with ‘free market’ provisions almost certain to return the health-care system to the days when insurers aggressively discriminated against anyone old, sick, or poor. Johnson’s rhetoric will also give Democrats an opportunity to remind voters that the last ‘repeal Obamacare’ package aimed to decimate Medicaid, the federal-state health-care program for poor people and a key part of the country’s social safety net. Beyond that, Johnson seemed to to be telling Pennsylvanians a reelected Trump wouldn’t care if his health-care plans made Americans unhappy…”
• “Taking a ‘blowtorch’ to health-care regulations that ensure coverage for preexisting conditions and limit price discrimination probably isn’t what swing voters hope for in a Trump administration billing itself as offering a return to American greatness. And the Harris campaign is surely grateful that Trump’s loyal congressional ally is making it known. Could that be the ‘little secret’ Trump cryptically said he and Johnson would reveal after the election? If so, the Speaker spilled the beans at the wrong place and the wrong time.”

The New Republic: Mike Johnson Reveals One of GOP’s First Targets if They Win Congress.

• “Only one week from Election Day, Republicans’ closing message is that they plan to take away people’s health care, specifically the Affordable Care Act, if the party retains control of the House.”
• “‘The ACA is so deeply ingrained, we need massive reform to make this work and we got a lot of ideas on how to do that.’ ‘If you take government bureaucrats out of the health care equation and you have doctor-patient relationships, it’s better for everybody. More efficient, more effective,’ Johnson added. ‘That’s the free market. Trump’s going to be for the free market.’ Johnson later promised to take a ‘blowtorch to the regulatory state.’”
• “Johnson’s promise to ax Obamacare isn’t an offhand remark. Earlier this month, Senator Tom Cotton also promised that if Donald Trump wins the election and the GOP takes control of the Senate, Republicans could ‘make health care more affordable, more tailored and more personalized than the one-size-fits-all option.’ During his four years as president, Trump tried and failed to repeal the ACA, even though the GOP controlled the House and the Senate for two years. During his presidential debate with Kamala Harris last month, Trump reiterated his desire to get rid of the health care law, but when pressed, said he only had ‘concepts of a plan.’ Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, has elaborated on the Trump administration’s current plan, which is to undo much of the ACA’s framework, including its prohibition on health insurance companies’ ability to charge more for preexisting conditions. Johnson’s and Cotton’s comments reveal that he has allies among the Republican leadership on Capitol Hill. The question is whether voters want to elect Trump and allow the GOP to reverse the health care reforms of the previous decade.”

The Guardian: Mike Johnson Promises ‘Massive’ Healthcare Changes If Trump Wins.

• “Vice-President Kamala Harris may have received another last-minute helping hand from Republicans after the House speaker, Mike Johnson, said there would be ‘massive’ healthcare changes if Donald Trump wins next Tuesday, including abolishing Obamacare.”
• “During the presidential TV debate in September, Trump said he had formed ‘the concepts of a plan’ for replacing Obamacare. The former president proposed a reform plan in the 2020 budget that said it supported ‘several initiatives to empower States and consumers to regain control over healthcare and increase affordability and consumer choice.’ The plan incorporated a repeal of the ACA’s premium subsidies and Medicaid expansion, replacing them with a block grant to states, and would have capped federal spending on Medicaid. The plan could have reduced federal healthcare spending by more than $1tn over a decade.”

Raw Story: Mike Johnson Promises ‘Massive’ Changes To Obamacare If Trump Wins: Report.

• “House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) reportedly told a crowd this week that ‘massive’ changes will be coming to health care in the country if Donald Trump defeats Vice President Kamala Harris next week.”
• “Johnson in 2017 supported former President Donald Trump’s repeal and replace plan, casting a decisive vote in passing the GOP’s attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would’ve stripped health coverage and protections for pre-existing conditions for millions of Americans. Johnson has also repeatedly attacked, declaring: ‘Obamacare failed.’ A record number of Americans enrolled this year in the ACA Marketplace, with 21.3 million. This was about double the number of enrollees in 2020. As of May, just under 50 million people had enrolled for health care coverage using the marketplace at some point since its inception in 2014.”

The New York Times: Mike Johnson’s Vow to Overhaul ACA Draws Attention to Unpopular Stance.

• “Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday that Republicans would embark on a ‘massive reform’ of the Affordable Care Act if former President Donald J. Trump is elected again, putting an unpopular policy position back in the spotlight just days before the election.”
• “…should he win the presidency and Republicans take both houses of Congress, there would be major pressure from some corners of the party to make major changes to former President Barack Obama’s signature domestic policy achievement. Nearly 50 million Americans have been covered by health insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces since they opened a decade ago, and Vice President Kamala Harris has promised to expand enrollment in the popular program if she is elected. She has repeatedly warned voters that Mr. Trump would try to repeal the law if he was elected. Mr. Trump and an all-Republican Congress already tried unsuccessfully to repeal the law, and the fierce backlash to those efforts helped Democrats win control of the House in 2018. In 2020, the Justice Department under Mr. Trump asked the Supreme Court to overturn the law. After threatening a renewed repeal push late last year, Mr. Trump has kept his position vague, a sign of what a political liability the issue has become for his campaign.”

Rolling Stone: Republicans Once Again Have Their Sights Set on the Affordable Care Act.

• “With less than a week to go before the election, Donald Trump still hasn’t produced a concrete healthcare plan after teasing that he had ‘concepts’ of one last month. Instead, one of his most prominent allies is wading into radioactive territory for Republicans: vowing to eliminate the Affordable Care Act. On Monday, while speaking to attendees at a House campaign event in Pennsylvania, House Speaker Mike Johnson vowed that under his purview, Republicans would dismantle the healthcare regulatory state.”
• “The Republican vendetta against former President Barack Obama’s signature legislation is nothing new. In the 14 years since it was passed, the GOP has repeatedly attempted to repeal or cripple the legislation — with generally poor outcomes. While the moniker ‘Obamacare’ once drew virtually universal disdain from Republican voters, the provisions passed under Obama have since become broadly popular amongst the American public. More than 50 million Americans have obtained health care through the ACA, and in 2024 enrollments saw a notable surge in red states. Efforts to repeal the law are effectively an electoral hot potato, and likely contributed to the GOP’s loss of the House in 2018. With Trump and congressional Republicans battling razor-thin margins in their bid to retake control of Congress and the White House, one would expect them to tread carefully.”

Politico: A Trump Win Could Reshape ACA Coverage.

• “Obamacare is stronger than ever ahead of this year’s open enrollment period, which kicks off Friday. But the presidential election could upend that.”
• “Former President Donald Trump has said he has the ‘concepts of a plan’ to replace or improve the Affordable Care Act. His campaign said in a statement that he doesn’t want to ‘terminate’ the ACA, and he hopes to bring down costs by ‘increasing transparency, promoting choice and competition, and expanding access to new health care and prescription drug options.’ Trump’s term in office offers clues to how he might approach the popular health insurance program, which has seen record enrollment during President Joe Biden’s term. In 2017, Trump cut marketing funding for open enrollment, and his administration refused to defend the law in court. He expanded options for short-term plans and association health plans, a move conservatives praised and Democrats derided as ‘junk insurance.’”