Make RFK Jr. Answer for Misleading Congress

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been accused by members of Congress of lying to the Senate about his 2019 trip to Samoa. His record of vaccine denial was one of the biggest obstacles to his confirmation — and senators now have new evidence suggesting he lied about it.

Kennedy repeatedly told senators that the Samoa trip had “nothing to do with vaccines.” But newly revealed correspondence appears to contradict him. Before traveling, Kennedy wrote to Samoa’s prime minister proposing an assessment of the country’s MMR vaccines. Another message from a colleague described the trip in vaccine-related terms.

Americans deserve public health leaders that we can trust. And we deserve to know whether political appointees are lying when they seek confirmation.

Tell Senate leaders: Call RFK Jr. back before Congress and make him answer for the contradictions between what he told senators and what the documents show.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, a physician and chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, had publicly wrestled with Kennedy’s vaccine record before ultimately supporting him. His backing came after Kennedy gave assurances about vaccine policy.

But if senators had known then what these documents show now, Kennedy might not be running HHS today.

Sen. Ed Markey has already accused Kennedy of lying to Congress, and other officials have accused him of misleading the Senate. That is not something Congress can brush aside.

Confirmation hearings only work if nominees give lawmakers truthful answers. If Kennedy misled senators about an issue that was central to whether he could win confirmation, Congress needs to find out whether he entered office under false pretenses.

If RFK Jr. got confirmed after misleading senators about an issue that nearly sank his nomination, Congress cannot look away. Add your name and demand a full public hearing now.

The petition to Sen. Bill Cassidy and Senate leaders reads:

“Call HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. back before Congress for a public hearing, confront him with the newly disclosed documents, and determine whether he knowingly misled the Senate during his confirmation.”