January 8, 2025
Dr. Green Urged the Senate to Reject RFK Jr. for HHS and Warned Senators of the Threats to Public Health Posed by his Confirmation
(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, Hawaii Governor Doctor Josh Green, an Emergency Room Physician, was joined by medical practitioners from Congress, including Rep. Ami Bera (CA-06), Rep. Kim Schrier (WA-08), Rep. Lauren Underwood (IL-14), and Rep. Herb Conaway (NJ-03), and 314 Action President Shaughnessy Naughton to discuss the importance of preserving Americans’ public health, including protecting vaccines for childhood diseases. Governor Green spoke about his role in vaccinating Samoans after a deadly measles outbreak infected 5,000 people and killed dozens of children following RFK Jr.’s misinformation campaign. Governor Green warned of the dangers posed by RFK Jr.’s nomination as Secretary of Health and Human Services.
“I know firsthand the destruction and devastation caused by RFK Jr.’s reckless disinformation campaign because I helped lead a team of 75 healthcare professionals to vaccinate Samoans after RFK Jr.’s disinformation campaign led to the worst measles outbreak in the nation’s history. It cost 83 people, mostly children, their lives but our efforts stopped more unnecessary deaths from occurring and shows us that you can do the right things in public health,” said Governor Josh Green (D-HI).
“What happens in the Senate with RFK Jr.’s confirmation for HHS, and frankly, the decision the incoming Senators are going to make, is an absolute life or death decision. This is not partisan. This is not political. This is medical. It is about the health and lives of the American people,” continued Dr. Green.
As a pediatrician, Rep. Kim Schrier (WA-08) said she knows firsthand the importance of immunizations and the role it plays in keeping our country healthy. “Immunizations have saved countless lives, in the millions. Because of misinformation and doubt, many worried parents would come and see me as a pediatrician. I have spent many hours reassuring them, going over the data, talking about misinformation and how dangerous it is, and what the data actually shows. Sowing needless doubt in the minds of parents and the citizens of this country should disqualify Robert Kennedy Jr. from this job. Make no mistake, stoking vaccine hesitancy will lead to deaths. We are here to let the incoming Trump Administration and the Senate know that we believe RFK Jr. is not only unqualified for this role but would be dangerous to the nation and to the rest of the world.”
Rep. Ami Bera, who represents California’s 6th district and spent over 20 years as an Internal Medicine doctor, said the science on vaccines was very clear. “The safety and efficacy of vaccines is incredibly clear. We know what we can do with vaccines. So, imagine if the top public health official in the leading country in the world were to come out and say, well, we don’t know about vaccines. This is a dangerous nominee. This is a dangerous pick, and we need to be very careful here. I urge the Senate to reject this nomination, and I urge President Trump to rethink this nomination. Leave it to the scientists and the doctors and the nurses and the healthcare professionals to make the decisions about the best medical care necessary. We don’t need politicians making those decisions.”
Rep. Lauren Underwood (IL-14), a Registered Nurse and leader in the U.S. House on health policy, highlighted and reiterated the importance of investing in local communities to increase immunization rates. “The data show that vaccines work. History shows that vaccines work. Now is the time that we should be investing in our communities to help them increase their immunization rates and keep our children, and our families, and our seniors, and our communities, safe and protected. Now is the time to fund the agencies doing world class research and protecting public health. I spent much of my second term fighting tooth and nail to make sure that my community had everything needed to stay safe and healthy, because Donald Trump’s administration turned a crisis into a catastrophe. We know this playbook, and we will not allow it to happen again.”
Rep. Herb Conaway (NJ-03), an Internal Medicine doctor with 3 over decades experience in public health weighed in on the dangers posed by RFK Jr.’s propensity to spread misinformation. “People should expect that one of their trusted sources should be the leader of the Department of Human Services that’s responsible for public health, but now we have a person, a nominee, who has shown through his actions that he is willing to deal misinformation. Let’s hope our senators, who have a direct responsibility here, hold these nominees, and particularly Mr. Kennedy, as a nominee to HHS, accountable for his actions, for his words. He says he’s going to leave the current vaccine program alone, but he’ll have a decision about whether or not new vaccines can go forward and be studied and researched and be brought to the market. That’s a very important power he has, and a very dangerous one, in my view, if his decision making is not grounded firmly in science where it needs to be.”
Shaughnessy Naughton, the Founder and President of 314 Action said RFK Jr. disqualified himself for rejecting decades of data, and instead clinging to conspiracy theories. “As these health care providers attested to, and decades of data has shown, are that vaccines are effective and safe and necessary for preventing deaths. RFK Jr. has a well documented history of rejecting the expertise of those who have spent their lives working in public health, instead clinging to and promoting fringe theories and beliefs and conspiracy theories with life and death consequences. This should be a disqualifier for the person tasked with leading the nation’s top health agency. It’s a good thing that scientists don’t conduct their studies as recklessly as RFK Jr. handles the truth.”
“We may not agree on all public health issues, of course, but the foundational ones have to be in the wheelhouse of the next HHS Secretary, because if they’re not, millions and millions of people who are on the bubble will not get vaccinated, and children who are vulnerable will pay the price. So I would humbly ask that they rethink the nomination of RFK Jr., move on and give us someone who’s going to fight for our children,” concluded Governor Green.
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Governor Josh Green, MD (D-HI)
Governor Josh Green is a proud husband, father, and physician. For the past 20 years, Governor Green cared for Big Island families as a doctor. He served in the State House of Representatives and the State Senate from 2004 to 2018. As chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, he passed “Luke’s Law,” which provides care for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, as well as tobacco and e-cigarette regulations, which increased the legal age for purchasing tobacco and e-cigarettes to 21. Passionate about housing solutions, Governor Green helped create “Kauhale” communities to get unsheltered veterans, kūpuna, and others into safe housing options. These efforts are ongoing and will continue to be one of his top priorities as Governor. Governor Green expanded the role of Lieutenant Governor by spearheading the largest healthcare response in state history during the COVID pandemic. These critical emergency efforts resulted in Hawaiʻi having the nation’s lowest COVID-19 fatality rate.
Rep. Ami Bera (CA-06)
Representative Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06) has represented Sacramento County in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2013. Dr. Bera brings over twenty years of medical experience to his work in Congress, where he has been a steadfast advocate for improving the availability, quality, and affordability of healthcare. As a physician and former Chief Medical Officer of Sacramento County, he is committed to eradicating preventable diseases around the world and ensuring Americans have access to trusted, science-based health information.
Rep. Kim Schrier (WA-08)
Prior to serving in the House of Representatives, Congresswoman Kim Schrier worked as a community pediatrician in Issaquah, Washington, becoming the first pediatrician to be elected to Congress. As a pediatrician, Representative Schrier worked to keep children in her community safe and healthy and has firsthand experience answering parents’ questions and concerns regarding vaccines.
Rep. Lauren Underwood (IL-14)
Congresswoman Lauren Underwood serves Illinois’ 14th Congressional District and was first sworn into Congress on January 3, 2019. She is the first woman, the first person of color, and the first millennial to represent her community in Congress. Rep. Underwood is a registered nurse and co-founder and co-chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, which addresses America’s Black Maternal Health crisis in Congress and advances policy solutions to improve maternal health outcomes and end disparities. Rep. Underwood is Co-Chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee and serves on the House Committee on Appropriations.
Rep. Herb Conaway (NJ-03)
Congressman Herb Conaway Jr. is a proud lifelong resident of Burlington County and the son of a teacher and a nurse. He pursued his passion for medicine, earning an undergraduate degree from Princeton University, a medical degree from Jefferson Medical College, and a law degree from Rutgers Law School in Camden. Congressman Conaway began his career by serving in the U.S. Air Force, where he rose to the rank of Captain in the Medical Corps at McGuire Air Force Base. For 27 years, Congressman Conaway served the residents of New Jersey’s 7th Legislative District as an Assemblyman. In the New Jersey Legislature, he chaired the Health Committee and served on the Budget Committee and the Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. Congressman Conaway will continue to advocate for an economy that benefits the families of New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District.
Shaughnessy Naughton, President of 314 Action
Shaughnessy Naughton is the President and Founder of 314 Action. Named after the first 3 digits of Pi (3.14), the organization’s mission is to engage and activate scientists to take civic action, particularly on climate and public health policy. Shaughnessy’s passionate commitment to increase the number of professionals with scientific training in government is deeply personal. In 2014, Shaughnessy, an entrepreneur with a degree in chemistry, ran for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 8th District. It was a leap of faith, strengthened by a commitment to take her scientific training and expertise to Washington, D.C. Although unsuccessful in her bid for office, the experience and what she learned prompted Shaughnessy to form 314 Action to encourage and unite the scientific community around the political process and advance a pro-science agenda. Under her leadership, thousands of scientists have been trained and activated in local communities and dozens of STEM professionals have been elected to public office.