Michigan Democrat files impeachment of HHS chief RFK Jr.
Rep. Haley Stevens (D‑Mich.) filed a 13‑page impeachment resolution on Dec. 10 against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., charging 'abuse of authority and undermining of the public health.' The filing cites Kennedy’s cuts to vaccine research, comments linking Tylenol to autism, and the firing of members of multiple HHS advisory panels; HHS called the effort partisan posturing, and the measure is unlikely to advance in a GOP‑controlled Congress.
📌 Key Facts
- Sponsor: Rep. Haley Stevens (D‑Mich.) filed a 13‑page impeachment resolution
- Target: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; charge: 'abuse of authority and undermining of the public health'
- Cited actions: cutting vaccine research, promoting Tylenol‑autism links, firing entire slates of HHS advisory panels
📊 Relevant Data
About 1 in 31 (3.2%) children aged 8 years has been identified with autism spectrum disorder according to estimates from CDC's ADDM Network in 2022.
Autism prevalence is 3.8 times higher in boys than in girls, with a ratio of 3.8 to 1 based on 2022 data.
U.S. autism prevalence rising; race/sex gaps shrink: new stats — Simons Center for the Social Brain at MIT
Existing evidence does not clearly link maternal paracetamol use during pregnancy with autism or ADHD in offspring, based on a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. removed all 17 members of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) in June 2025 to restore public trust in vaccines.
HHS Takes Bold Step to Restore Public Trust in Vaccines by Reconstituting ACIP — HHS
Scientific studies have repeatedly shown no link between vaccines and autism, with the original report claiming a link retracted due to fraudulent data.
Fact Checked: Vaccines: Safe and Effective, No Link to Autism — American Academy of Pediatrics