Republican Policies are Dangerous to our Health

Right now in the U.S., the measles virus is making a fierce comeback. The disease was declared eliminated here in 2000, and now more than 900 cases have been reported in just the first six weeks of 2026, on top of the 2,276 confirmed cases last year. Though measles is a problem in many parts of the world, it absolutely should not be here in America. The MMR vaccine is about 97% effective, so why is this happening? The main reason is growing vaccine hesitancy, and the person most responsible for undermining confidence in vaccines is Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F Kennedy Jr.

Kennedy’s history of advocating against vaccines should have disqualified him from consideration for HHS Secretary, but unfortunately he is not the only Republican cabinet member whose incompetence is wrecking the safety and health of our country. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, who has a history of denying climate  change and opposing environmental actions, just last week rescinded the 2009 Endangerment Finding, which found that greenhouse gas emissions threaten public health and welfare. The scientific evidence behind the Endangerment Finding has only grown stronger in the years since 2009, and this reversal by the EPA is expected to cause more health problems and accelerate climate change.

Perhaps the most toxic attack of all on Americans’ health is the Republican’s cruel and corrupt “Big Beautiful Bill” act. The Congressional Budget Office’s latest figures show an estimated $911 billion in cuts to Medicaid spending over the next decade, while increasing the number of uninsured people by about 10 million. As a direct consequence, nursing homes and physician practices will face huge losses, and many rural hospitals across the country will encounter losses so catastrophic that they will be forced to shut down.

Vaccines are safe and effective. Climate change is undeniably real. Affordable health care should be a fundamental right for all Americans. Our federal leaders and lawmakers should be wise enough to, at a bare minimum, accept these facts and prioritize them above their politics.