Hawaii’s Democratic Governor and practicing physician, Josh Green, is in Washington, D.C. this week to lobby lawmakers against the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary. Green, who worked as a physician before entering politics, argues that Kennedy’s anti-vaccine views make him unfit for the position.
In a Tuesday op-ed for The New York Times, Green wrote that “our children’s lives depend” on preventing Kennedy from leading the agency. He has continued to work in emergency medicine throughout his legislative career, and was involved in efforts to increase vaccination rates in Samoa amid a measles outbreak in 2019.
Green said that his criticism of Kennedy is not personal or political, but rather a matter of safety for children. “As the only physician governor, I need to explain what are good picks and what maybe aren’t so good picks for the cabinet,” he said in a video ahead of his trip to Washington.
Green plans to meet with lawmakers and other leaders to discuss alternative options for Kennedy’s position. He has also criticized Kennedy’s response to a measles outbreak in Samoa, where he promoted doubts around vaccine efficacy.
Senator Bill Cassidy, the incoming chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, has also expressed concerns over Kennedy’s nomination, calling him “wrong” on the issue of vaccines. Cassidy’s criticism follows concerns that Kennedy may seek to get rid of the polio vaccine, after a previous colleague petitioned the government to revoke its approval.
President-elect Trump nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head HHS, and his team has been silent on the matter. However, some experts have spoken out in support of Kennedy, suggesting that his ideas are rooted in logic and science.
Governor Green’s criticism has largely revolved around Kennedy’s anti-vaccine views, and his concerns that Kennedy may prioritize personal beliefs over evidence-based policy. The outcome of Kennedy’s nomination remains uncertain, with the Senate yet to vote on his confirmation.
