Yesterday a variety of senators engaged in a haranguing of RFK Jr, mostly centered around their obsession with vaccines.
They should be reminded that the partial vaccine mandate was one of the primary drivers of Trump’s second electoral victory. Voters didn’t care that Trump was responsible through the bulk of the pandemic, they hated the forced actions that came later during Democratic rule.
While both Democrat and Republican politicians were present, Democrats take the brunt of mandate backlash. Covid vaccine mandates in 2021 were the FA moment, and we are now in the FO moment – just in case you’re unhappy with anything that has transpired this year. Mandates increased the number of vaccine skeptics, overpowering vaccine advocates, and emboldened many of Trump’s most dedicated supporters in the last election.
In 1900, 31% of all deaths were children. Now that number is 0.7%. Vaccines are one of many reasons this occurred and probably not as impactful as plumbing or sanitation. Removing them entirely, which isn’t happening, would not make the number jump back up to 31%. Striving for 0% is noble, but it is not electorally helpful and should be silenced. As overbearing voices push to override the absence of consent, less vaccination occurs. Not only does this make Democratic politicians flounder, it misses the opportunity to press on working issues.
The only people this endless henpecking resonates with are a niche group of hypochondriacs, still wearing masks in 2025, and everyone else correctly perceives them to be just as loony as Qanon. Not only are they not bringing any sort of weight on election day, they are electorally toxic – this rhetoric drives away voters.
This hearing could’ve been about working American citizens losing healthcare or any other health initiatives being cancelled, stalled, and otherwise weakened, but no, it was “vaccines vaccines vaccines.” Real missed opportunity.
As you might already know, my perspective is that this Kennedy is engaged in song and dance, throwing bones to the crowd, while the GOP strips various health and environmental protections away from the American people.
Timely example: granting broad liability protections to pesticide manufacturers, which could weaken oversight and accountability for harmful chemicals.
The current administration has hampered an array of Biden initiatives, only to restart them in order to take credit for themselves.
Replacing lead pipes in public schools
October 7, 2024 – FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Issues Final Rule to Replace Lead Pipes Within a Decade, Announces New Funding to Deliver Clean Drinking Water. Since President Biden Took Office, Over 367,000 Lead Pipes Have Been Replaced Nationwide, Benefitting 918,000 People
February 13, 2025 – House Republicans Seek to Cancel Key Lead/Water Safety Rule that Will Replace All Toxic Lead Pipes in 10 Years, Protect Tens of Millions. A Joint Resolution was introduced in the House that repealed a Biden administration water safety rule requiring the replacement of all toxic lead water pipes in most communities across the country.
April 3, 2025 – RFK Jr. announces HHS reinstating some programs
Bans on artificial food dyes
January 15, 2025 – Biden FDA moves to ban toxic Red Dye No. 3 in food
April 22, 2025 – What We Know about Artificial Food Dyes and Health as RFK, Jr., Declares a U.S. Ban
April 24, 2025 – RFK Jr.’s effort to phase out artificial food dyes is not an outright ban — nor effective immediately. Kennedy’s plan to eliminate the dyes needs the food companies to go along — he doesn’t appear to have an enforcement mechanism in place.
Similar shenanigans
In March 2025, the USDA cancelled $660 million for the Local Food For Schools (LFS) program. Secretary Rollins then replaced a 10 million dollar program with an 18 million dollar program and this was referred to as an “increase.”
