Impeaching Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services, for high crimes and misdemeanors.
- Bill Number
- H.Res. 944
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Health
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-12-10: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Last Updated
- 2025-12-15T16:37:54Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
This resolution (H. Res. 944) aims to impeach Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), for high crimes and misdemeanors. It accuses him of abusing his authority, failing to faithfully execute U.S. laws, and endangering public health through various actions that violate his constitutional oath.
Key Provisions
The resolution presents a single article of impeachment divided into several categories of alleged misconduct:
- Abuse of Authority and Undermining Public Health:
- Conducted widespread staff reductions (reductions in force, or RIFs) at HHS agencies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including during funding shortages, leading to lawsuits and disruptions in public health programs.
- Stopped public comment periods on federal rules, violating the Administrative Procedure Act (a law requiring public input on regulations).
- Fired employees responsible for record-keeping and responding to public records requests under laws like the Freedom of Information Act, reducing transparency and congressional oversight.
- Promoted a report ("Make America Healthy Again") with false or misleading scientific citations, violating research integrity standards.
- Attacked the FDA publicly, suggesting program closures that erode trust in the agency.
- Approved the off-label use of a chemotherapy drug (leucovorin) for autism symptoms without sufficient evidence or proper procedures, risking children's health.
- Mishandled the avian influenza outbreak by downplaying it and failing to manage the crisis, threatening food security and public health.
- Undermining Medical Innovation and Violating Congressional Funding Authority:
- Canceled over 2,600 NIH research grants worth $8.9 billion and froze $1.5 billion more, halting biomedical research including on childhood cancer and sudden infant death syndrome.
- Shut down programs for mental health, substance abuse (including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), maternal and infant health, and the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for LGBTQ+ youth.
- Withheld funding for family planning under Title X of the Public Health Service Act, potentially closing 865 sites and affecting 850,000 patients.
- Ended research on sexually transmitted infections like HIV/AIDS and emerging infectious diseases, and canceled mRNA vaccine development grants despite their proven benefits (e.g., COVID-19 vaccines).
- Abolished the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, reducing monitoring of foodborne illnesses like listeria and campylobacter.
- Eroding Trust in Vaccines and Public Health Institutions:
- Fired all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP, a key expert panel on vaccine policy) and appointed unqualified individuals with conflicts of interest, bypassing scientific processes.
- Fired the Senate-confirmed CDC Director, Susan Monarez, after pressuring her to implement unscientific policies.
- Removed COVID-19 vaccines from CDC recommendations for pregnant women and children without ACIP input, creating confusion and barriers to access.
- Appointed a vaccine conspiracy theorist (David Geier) to lead a federal study on vaccines and autism, despite lack of evidence linking them.
- Made public statements supporting unproven theories about vaccine dangers, including during measles outbreaks, and endorsed a doctor accused of destroying vaccines and issuing fake records.
- Promoting Unsubstantiated and Dangerous Rhetoric:
- Spread false claims, such as acetaminophen causing autism, autism being a "preventable disease," water fluoridation being harmful (despite evidence of its benefits for dental health), cell phones causing cancer, AIDS being caused by recreational drugs (not HIV), and lifestyle changes preventing measles (leading to increased vitamin A poisoning in children).
- Made demeaning comments about autistic individuals.
The resolution concludes that these actions imperil public health, erode trust in institutions, and stall scientific progress, warranting impeachment, trial, and removal from office.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This resolution does not amend or create new laws. As a House resolution, it initiates the impeachment process under the U.S. Constitution (Article I, Section 2), which gives the House the sole power to impeach federal officers. If passed, it would exhibit charges to the Senate for trial but does not alter statutes like the Affordable Care Act, Social Security Act, or Administrative Procedure Act—rather, it alleges violations of them.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: Could lead to leadership instability at HHS, NIH, CDC, and FDA, disrupting operations, research, and regulatory functions. Reinstatement of fired staff or programs might occur via lawsuits, but ongoing chaos could delay responses to health crises like outbreaks.
- On Citizens: Reduced access to vaccines, reproductive health services, mental health support, and research on diseases (e.g., cancer, HIV) may harm vulnerable groups like children, pregnant women, LGBTQ+ youth, and low-income patients. Public confusion from misleading information could lower vaccination rates and increase health risks, such as from foodborne illnesses or unproven treatments.
- On International Relations: Cancellation of global health research (e.g., on pandemics and emerging diseases) might weaken U.S. leadership in worldwide medical innovation and pandemic preparedness, affecting collaborations with international partners.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- HHS Employees and Public Health Professionals: Thousands of scientists, researchers, and staff face job losses, reduced capacity, and morale issues.
- American Public: Especially vulnerable populations (e.g., children with autism or cancer, pregnant individuals, those with mental health needs, and rural/low-income communities reliant on Title X clinics).
- Congress: Impacts oversight abilities due to reduced transparency and funding control, potentially leading to more legal challenges.
- Scientific and Medical Communities: Disruption to grants, programs, and integrity standards could slow advancements in vaccines, cancer treatments, and infectious disease control.
- Patients and Advocacy Groups: Groups focused on vaccines, reproductive rights, HIV/AIDS, and mental health may see diminished services and increased risks from misinformation.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Alleges violations of federal laws (e.g., funding statutes, Administrative Procedure Act) and research standards, potentially inviting lawsuits for improper firings or approvals. References the Freedom of Information Act and constitutional "take care" clause (Article II, Section 3), requiring faithful execution of laws.
- Constitutional: Invokes impeachment for "high crimes and misdemeanors" (Article II, Section 4), a broad term covering abuse of power beyond criminal acts. Targets a cabinet secretary as a "civil officer," emphasizing Congress's check on the executive branch.
- Political: Highlights partisan tensions over public health policy, vaccines, and science, potentially deepening divisions. Success could set precedents for impeaching appointees over policy disagreements, while failure might embolden controversial executive actions; it reflects debates on executive overreach versus congressional authority (e.g., "power of the purse" under Article I).
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Stevens, Haley M. [D-MI-11]
Cosponsors (1)
Recent Actions
- 2025-12-10: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2025-12-10: Submitted in House
- 2025-12-10: Submitted in House
Bill Versions
- Impeaching Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services, for high crimes and misdemeanors. — issued 2025-12-10 — PDF (13 pages)