Impeachment Resolution Filed Against HHS Secretary Kennedy Jr. Over Alleged Public Health Failures and $8.9 Billion in Canceled Research Grants

This resolution is an Article of Impeachment against Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), alleging he committed “high crimes and misdemeanors” while in office. It’s not a policy bill changing a law, but a formal charge seeking his removal, built on a long list of specific actions that the resolution claims have undermined public health, violated federal law, and abused the power of his office. The core argument is that the Secretary has failed to execute U.S. laws and endangered public safety through mismanagement and the promotion of medically unfounded claims.

The $10 Billion Question: Research and Funding Cuts

One of the most immediate and impactful allegations involves the federal budget, specifically Congress’s constitutional power of the purse. The resolution claims the Secretary canceled over 2,600 National Institutes of Health (NIH) biomedical research grants, totaling a massive $8.9 billion in lost funding, and froze another $1.5 billion. For anyone working in the medical or scientific fields, this is a seismic event. This isn’t just paperwork; this is the money that pays for the next generation of cancer treatments, Alzheimer’s research, and infectious disease preparedness. By allegedly canceling this funding, the Secretary is accused of violating the separation of powers and essentially deciding unilaterally which research gets done—or doesn’t get done—despite Congressional appropriation.

Gutting the Safety Net and Oversight

The resolution details several actions that allegedly dismantled critical public health infrastructure. For people who rely on federal programs, these cuts hit hard. The resolution specifically notes the shuttering of programs for childhood health, maternal and infant health monitoring, and mental health and substance abuse services, including closing the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). If you or a loved one relies on the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, the resolution alleges specialized support for LGBTQ+ youth was ended. Furthermore, it claims the Secretary withheld Congressionally authorized funding for the Title X family planning program, threatening access for 850,000 patients at 865 service sites. These actions suggest a systematic dismantling of established federal support systems.

Undermining the Watchdogs

The resolution also focuses heavily on alleged abuses of power and attempts to impede oversight. It claims the Secretary conducted “haphazard reductions in force” at the NIH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA), specifically targeting employees responsible for records and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. For the public, this is a major concern: if the records keepers are gone, it makes it much harder for Congress, journalists, and the public to find out what the agencies are actually doing. Additionally, the resolution alleges the Secretary violated the Administrative Procedures Act by unilaterally ceasing public comment on federal rules—a key legal mechanism designed to ensure the public has a say in how new regulations affect them.

The Science and Trust Crisis

Perhaps the most publicly visible set of allegations concerns the Secretary’s actions regarding scientific integrity and public trust. The resolution claims he fired all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)—the independent body that advises the CDC on vaccine use—and appointed unqualified replacements. Furthermore, he is accused of removing the COVID-19 vaccine from the recommended schedule for pregnant women and children without ACIP input and falsely testifying about the science behind that decision. Beyond vaccines, the resolution lists several instances of the Secretary allegedly using his office to promote scientifically unfounded claims, such as falsely claiming acetaminophen use causes autism, declaring cell phones cause cancer in children, and ordering the CDC to end water fluoridation directives. The resolution notes that one consequence of this rhetoric was a documented 39% increase in pediatric Vitamin A poisoning cases after he allegedly claimed vitamins could prevent measles. This section highlights a core concern: the alleged use of the highest public health office to spread misinformation, potentially leading to immediate health risks for the public.