RFK Jr. Guarantees ‘A New Generation of Radical Transparency’ in First Group of workers Cope with as HHS Secretary

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vowed to release “a brand new generation of radical transparency” as he addressed his team of workers as Secretary of Well being and Human Products and services (HHS) for the primary time on Feb. 18.

“I’m now not going to return in right here and impose my trust over any of yours. As an alternative, we’re going to paintings in combination to release a brand new generation of radical transparency,” Kennedy mentioned. “Most effective via radical transparency are we able to supply American citizens with authentic knowledgeable consent, which is bedrock and the basis stone of democracy.”

Kennedy’s “major undertaking” at HHS, he mentioned, is “to opposite the power illness epidemic.”

Transparency is how that function might be completed.

“Transparency permits numerous events to ascertain not unusual flooring of mutually relied on data,” Kennedy mentioned.

He remarked that many govt companies have “fallen captive to the profit-making industries” and feature “stagnated in bureaucratic secrecy.”

Kennedy ran for president as a Democrat after which an impartial earlier than finishing his White Area bid remaining August. Upon endorsing candidate former President Donald Trump, he established the “Make The us Wholesome Once more” (MAHA) motion and vowed to finish the country’s power illness epidemic, which used to be a key a part of his personal presidential marketing campaign platform.

The previous Democrat used to be nominated to develop into HHS secretary by means of Trump earlier than present process a rigorous affirmation procedure that ended on Feb. 13, when the U.S. Senate voted in Kennedy’s want, 52-48, most commonly alongside birthday celebration traces. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) used to be the lone Republican not to enhance Kennedy.

“I’ve prayed every morning for the previous 20 years for God to position me ready to unravel the youth power illness epidemic. And now, due to you Mr. President, we can make this promise a fact,” Kennedy mentioned as he used to be sworn in on Feb. 13 within the Oval Administrative center.

HHS manages 13 companies, together with the Facilities for Illness Regulate and Prevention (CDC), the Meals and Drug Management (FDA), and the Nationwide Institutes of Well being (NIH).

Kennedy has promised important adjustments all the way through the dept.

He has again and again mentioned little will trade till the affect of huge or personal firms at the FDA, the CDC, and the Division of Agriculture is addressed.

“I needless to say it’s the device and now not the folk in it; that’s the major drawback,” Kennedy mentioned.

Reshaping the companies beneath HHS “will recuperate their reputations as unimpeachable resources of clinical data to lead policy-making clinical execs, the general public, and the entire global,” he famous.

“We will be able to take away conflicts of hobby at the committees and analysis companions when imaginable, or steadiness them with different stakeholders. We will be able to close the revolving door to re-establish public consider,” he mentioned. “We will be able to make our information and our coverage procedure so clear that individuals gained’t even must document a FOIA request.”

Kennedy additionally mentioned he plans to “examine” if anti-depression drugs and youth vaccinations are a number of the more than one “imaginable components” of the country’s power illness epidemic.

“Not anything goes to be off limits,” Kennedy pledged.

“We will be able to convene representatives of all viewpoints to review the reasons for the drastic upward push in power illness,” Kennedy mentioned. “One of the most imaginable components we can examine had been officially taboo or insufficiently scrutinized.”

All over his deal with, Kennedy referenced his contemporary “extremely polarized affirmation procedure.”

Kennedy advised his team of workers participants that media narratives about him—a lot of which label him as an “anti-vaxxer” and a “conspiracy theorist” with out airing his complete feedback—have “made it onerous to get a way of who I’m and what I consider and what I constitute.”

“Numerous occasions after I learn those articles characterizing me, I feel to myself, I wouldn’t wish to paintings for that man, both,” he added.

Kennedy requested HHS workers to “get started a dating by means of letting cross of any preconceptions that you might have about me. And let’s get started from sq. one.”

Right through his profession, Kennedy persevered, he has requested tough questions and reached unpopular conclusions.

“I’m going to stay asking the ones types of questions. What I promise to you now’s to carry my preconceived solutions flippantly,” he mentioned.

All over the affirmation procedure, Democrats expressed fear that Kennedy can be a “rubber stamp” for the time table of the Trump management. On Feb. 18, Kennedy pledged that his management would constitute open-mindedness.

“I promise to be prepared to be fallacious. I promise to hear the entire stakeholders, the entire events to the dialog, together with those, particularly those, with whom I’ve disagreed prior to now,” Kennedy mentioned.

“I promise to stay an open thoughts or to each risk and each contingency. I am hoping you’ll all sign up for me on this dedication since the well being of our other people is much more vital than being proper or being vindicated.”