Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) announced Thursday that she is drafting articles of impeachment against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., charging that his short tenure has been marked by disinformation, politicization of health agencies, mass firings, and cuts to vital research programs.
Stevens’s move comes amid weeks of growing criticism of Kennedy’s stewardship of the department. Since taking office, he has drawn scrutiny for removing all members of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory committee on immunization and filling the vacancies “mostly with anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists.” He also fired thousands of workers across the agency, later announcing plans to rehire them, a promise that has not been met.
Kennedy has long been a central figure in the vaccine misinformation movement, and his elevation to HHS placed him at the helm of federal health policy despite what critics call a complete lack of relevant experience. More than 1,000 current employees at HHS signed an open letter calling on him to step down, citing his “zero experience in the health field” and condemning his decisions.
The controversy deepened when Kennedy appeared at the White House alongside President Donald Trump and other health officials to promote the claim that acetaminophen use during pregnancy could lead to autism. Studies examining the issue have not established a causal link, and medical experts condemned the guidance as disinformation, warning that leaving fevers or pain untreated during pregnancy can result in grave complications.
Stevens directly tied her impeachment push to Kennedy’s handling of health research and vaccine policy. In a post on X she wrote, “Health care chaos. Reckless cuts. Rising costs. Michiganders and families across the country are paying the price for RFK Jr.’s agenda. Enough is enough, which is why I’m drafting articles of impeachment against @SecKennedy.”
In a press release on her congressional website, Stevens elaborated on her case against Kennedy, stating: “[Kennedy’s] contempt for science, the constant spreading of conspiracy theories, and his complete disregard for the thousands of research hours spent by America’s top doctors and experts is unprecedented, reckless, and dangerous. Enough is enough – we need leaders who put science over chaos, facts over lies, and people over politics.”
According to Stevens, Kennedy has cut lifesaving research programs in cancer, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and addiction, while canceling studies on mRNA vaccines. She accused him of “severely restricting access to vaccines and spreading absurd conspiracies, putting lives in danger, and raising healthcare costs.” She also noted that Kennedy had withdrawn federal recommendations for COVID-19 shots for pregnant women and healthy children.
The Michigan lawmaker added that Kennedy “made promises to Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-LA), which he has not upheld.” Some critics, she said, suggest that Kennedy may have lied during his confirmation hearings. “Secretary Kennedy has violated his oath of office and proven himself unfit to serve the American people,” Stevens stated. “Congress must act to hold him accountable, and I intend to lead the charge to remove him from office.”
Stevens said her articles of impeachment will also focus on Kennedy’s “failure to carry out statutory duties of HHS in administering the FDA and CDC” and accused him of politicizing the Food and Drug Administration.
Despite the aggressive tone of the announcement, the political path forward is narrow. With Republicans holding the majority in both chambers of Congress, the chances of impeachment — let alone removal from office — are described as “slim to none.”
Public opinion appears to be shifting against Kennedy as well. A Quinnipiac University poll conducted September 18-21 and published the following week found that only 33 percent of Americans approve of his handling of HHS since his confirmation, while 54 percent disapprove. When asked about their confidence in medical information cited by Kennedy, just 39 percent said they were “very confident” or “somewhat confident,” compared to 57 percent who said they were “not so confident” or “not at all confident.” The survey was conducted before Kennedy and Trump promoted their claim linking acetaminophen to autism.
For critics inside and outside government, Kennedy’s tenure has already raised concerns about the integrity of public health guidance. His reversal of vaccine recommendations for pregnant women and children, cancellation of mRNA research, and wholesale removal of the CDC’s advisory panel are viewed as steps that undermine trust in federal health agencies.
In announcing her impeachment plans, Stevens underscored the stakes: “RFK Jr. is making our country less safe and making healthcare less affordable and accessible for Michiganders. His contempt for science, the constant spreading of conspiracy theories, and his complete disregard for the thousands of research hours spent by America’s top doctors and experts is unprecedented, reckless, and dangerous.”
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