Washington D.C. – At a scatter-brained event today, Donald Trump announced a new women’s health task force to be led by HHS Secretary RFK Jr. – an insulting choice given Kennedy has spent the last two years rolling back the clock on women’s health on multiple fronts, including overseeing health care tax credits ripped from millions of women, severely restricting reproductive freedoms even when mothers’ lives are at risk, and shutting down efforts to address inequities in women’s health.
“With RFK Jr at the HHS helm, millions of women are paying more for health care and have less access to services they need,” said Brad Woodhouse, president of Protect Our Care. “Sec. Kennedy has tried to scrap any research grant or program that dares to fix women’s health disparities – and disproportionately fired women doctors and career scientists en masse. He’s fought tooth and nail to restrict access to abortion medication even when the lives and health of women depend on it, including patients dealing with a horrific ectopic pregnancy. Putting this man, of all people, in charge of a women’s health task force makes it a task farce and a pathetic election-year gimmick.”
A Sampling of the Many Ways RFK Jr Has Left Women’s Health Worse Off:
- NPR, 10.17: $86m in teen pregnancy prevention funds diverted to Trump-linked contractor
- Washington Sun: HHS Cancels Infant Mortality, Postpartum Grants to Focus on Sperm Counts, ED
- STAT News: NIH grant terminations affected women scientists more than men, study finds
- KFF: [Four in ten] women, even those with insurance coverage, have delayed or postponed care they thought they needed in the past 12 months because of cost.
- Washington Post: Women, minorities fired in purge of NIH science review boards
- Stateline: Federal health agency cancels most of its teen pregnancy prevention grants
- Mother Jones: HHS Will Allow Pharmacies to Boycott Lifesaving Drugs Used in Medication Abortion
- CNN: After criticism, HHS reverses plan to cut funds for a landmark study on women’s health
- Associated Press: Trump administration revokes guidance requiring hospitals to provide emergency abortions
- Sen. Ossoff Pressing CDC Director to Restore Decimated Maternal and Infant Health Programs
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