Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to include comment from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
A dramatic escalation in the ongoing political warfare over public health policies hit Capitol Hill today as U.S. Representative Haley Stevens, a Democrat representing Michigan’s Birmingham area, formally introduced articles of impeachment against Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Stevens launched the impeachment effort with a blistering condemnation, accusing the Secretary of weaponizing misinformation, knowingly driving up healthcare costs, and representing an acute danger to the health of Michiganders and the nation at large.
“Secretary Kennedy is driving up costs, endangering lives, undermining public health, betraying public trust, and threatening Michigan families and our world-class research institutions,” Stevens declared on Wednesday. “These are violations of his oath of office.”
The Core Allegations: Misinformation and Medical Sabotage
Stevens’s move stems from a calculated escalation that began in September, when she first announced her planned effort, citing Kennedy Jr.’s “ongoing efforts to jeopardize public health, increase the cost of healthcare and cut critical medical research.” The impeachment articles highlight several key flashpoints:
1. The Acetaminophen-Autism Link
Stevens renewed her call for Kennedy Jr.’s resignation after he publicly declared a link between autism and acetaminophen, the common painkiller and fever-reducing medication widely known under the brand name Tylenol. This point is vehemently refuted by the overwhelming majority of the health world.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) quickly pushed back, as acetaminophen is a medication they routinely recommend for use during pregnancy. ACOG officials stated unequivocally that Kennedy’s announcement is not backed by the full body of scientific evidence and dangerously oversimplifies the complex and multifactorial causes of neurologic challenges in children.
“In more than two decades of research on the use of acetaminophen in pregnancy, not a single reputable study has successfully concluded that the use of acetaminophen in any trimester of pregnancy causes neurodevelopmental disorders in children,” ACOG said in a statement. They added that the two highest-quality studies on the subject—one of which was published in JAMA last year—found no significant associations between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and children’s risk of autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability.
2. The CDC Advisory Committee Purge
Stevens also sharply criticized Kennedy Jr. for the controversial firing of long-standing members of an advisory committee for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and his subsequent selection of new advisors. Several of these new appointees gained attention during the COVID-19 pandemic for actively spreading misinformation and criticizing the efficacy of COVID vaccines.
This shift in advisory personnel was immediately followed by a radical change in policy: Last week, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to end the 34-year-old standing recommendations that all newborn babies be immunized against hepatitis B. Members instead favored delaying vaccination until two months of age, or only administering it immediately if the mother tested positive for the virus or whose infection status was unknown.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) strongly opposed the decision. “This irresponsible and purposely misleading guidance will lead to more hepatitis B infections in infants and children,” warned AAP President Dr. Susan Kressly in a statement. She stressed that the change was the result of a “deliberate strategy to sow fear and distrust among families,” not new concerning information about the vaccine itself.
The medical stakes are high: Hepatitis B is a liver disease spread through contact with blood or bodily fluids. Due to high rates of asymptomatic infection, about 50% of people with the virus don’t know they have it. For infants, the virus is especially dangerous: about 90% of babies infected at birth develop chronic hepatitis B infection, and approximately 25% of those children will die prematurely, according to the AAP.
In her final remarks, Stevens accused Kennedy Jr. of making “outlandish” claims, slashing funding for crucial pediatric cancer research, and actively making it harder for Americans to enroll in affordable health insurance plans. “Enough is enough,” she concluded. “This is about protecting the health and safety of Michiganders and every American.”
Political Reality and the HHS Response
The impeachment articles face a steep political climb. They must first be adopted by a majority vote in the House of Representatives before the Senate can hold an impeachment trial to determine if the official should be removed from office and banned from future service. Given the current Republican majority in the U.S. House, the approval of articles against Kennedy, who was selected by Republican President Donald Trump, is highly unlikely.
In a swift and pointed response to the announcement, Andrew Nixon, Communications Director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, dismissed the effort as purely political maneuvering:
“Secretary Kennedy remains focused on improving Americans’ health and lowering costs, not on partisan theatrics designed to elevate standing in a failing, third-rate Senate bid.”
Asked how Democratic leadership in the House responded to her extraordinary effort, Stevens said she is eager to have her colleagues stand beside her, but she declined to specify whether House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries was in direct support of the unprecedented move. The impeachment articles, regardless of their ultimate success, ensure that the battle over public health and science integrity will remain center stage in Washington.
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