Collins calls Kennedy’s firing of vaccine experts 'excessive'
Share and Follow


Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) on Monday called Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s firing of all 17 experts on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) vaccine panel “excessive,” but she cautioned she needs to learn more about the decision.

Kennedy announced the decision in an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, catching many GOP lawmakers by surprise.

“I did not know that that had happened,” Collins, a senior member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, said. “It seems to me to be excessive to ask for everybody’s resignations, but I can’t judge because I don’t know who he’s replacing them with.”

The Maine senator said the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee “provided helpful guidance to the public on what they should do.”

Collins said that Kennedy didn’t promise members of the HELP Committee that he would keep the vaccine experts in place.

“I’m just learning about it for the first time,” she said. “I don’t know what the basis was.”

Kennedy said in his Wall Street Journal column that he removed the experts so that President Trump could shape the membership of the committee.

“Without removing the current members, the current Trump administration would not have been able to appoint a majority of new members until 2028,” he wrote.

Kennedy argued that vaccines have become “a divisive issue in American politics’ and that public confidence is waning” in health agencies, pharmaceutical companies and vaccines themselves.

“That is why, under my direction, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is putting the restoration of public trust above any pro- or antivaccine agenda. The public must know that unbiased science guides the recommendations from our health agencies. This will ensure the American people receive the safest vaccines possible,” he wrote.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) in a statement blasted Kennedy’s move as “reckless.”

“RFK Jr. and the Trump administration are taking a wrecking ball to the programs that keep Americans safe and healthy. Firing experts that have spent their entire lives protecting kids from deadly disease is not reform — it’s reckless, radical, and rooted in conspiracy, not science,” Schumer said in a statement.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
UFC icon Ben Askren breaks silence after life-saving transplant

Former UFC star Ben Askren speaks out after receiving life-saving organ transplant

Ben Askren, the famous UFC fighter, recently shared his near-death experience, stating…
Richard Ashcroft on Oasis fan who didn't know ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’

Richard Ashcroft Talks About Oasis Fan’s Unfamiliarity with ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’

That’s life. Former Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft took to social media to…
Hundreds of Amazon car seat covers packages fill up San Jose woman's garage after year-long mishap with overseas seller

Woman in San Jose ends up with hundreds of Amazon car seat covers due to a year-long issue with a seller from overseas

SAN JOSE, Calif. — It’s an Amazon nightmare. Imagine hundreds of oversized…
Trump sends out tariff letters to 7 more countries, avoids major trade partners

Trump issues tariff notifications to 7 additional nations, excludes key trading allies.

WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump sent out tariff letters to seven smaller…

Three individuals taken into custody for reportedly attempting to vandalize US Border Patrol vehicles in Los Angeles

A trio of suspects was arrested for allegedly attempting to “impede and…
Whoopi Goldberg whines on The View about her multi-million dollar gig

Whoopi Goldberg complains about her high-paying job on The View

Whoopi Goldberg whined that her multimillion-dollar job co-hosting The View can ‘feel like hell,’…
Sheriff highlights drop in murders, addresses questions on new jail at JSO town hall

Sheriff Discusses Decrease in Murders and Answers Questions about New Jail at JSO Meeting

Sheriff T.K. Waters addresses public safety concerns and questions on jail at…
‘Jaws’ author’s widow still visits film’s shooting location

The widow of the author of ‘Jaws’ continues to visit the filming location of the movie

The legacy of “Jaws” lives forever for Wendy Benchley. Wendy Benchley, who…