HHS has experienced considerable disruption in the five months with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary. Actions include the firing and rehiring of federal employees, cancellation and reinstatement of grants, and termination of advisory board members and panels. Despite the historical role of HHS secretaries being low-profile, Kennedy and other agency heads have actively promoted their agenda through various media channels under the banner of 'Make America Healthy Again.' This shift contrasts with previous administrations' respect for HHS's independent processes.
In the five months since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed to be secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), the department has undergone repeated convulsions of turmoil and change: Federal employees have been fired and then rehired, grants canceled and reinstated, and members of advisory boards fired or had their panels eliminated outright.
The HHS secretary typically does not play a big public role in the government. You'd be hard-pressed to remember the last three HHS secretaries, let alone the previous heads of the FDA and NIH.
In contrast, key members of HHS today invoke the MAHA mandate in justifying their agenda- in press releases, in agency-produced podcasts, videos, and a variety of media appearances.
While each president has used the regulatory powers in HHS to pursue their particular agenda, they have broadly respected the independent processes and appointees that keep the agency functioning.
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