Dem
55
Ties
1
GOP
44
Thanks to the efforts of Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert Kennedy Jr., measles is great again. A decades-long effort to eradicate the fast-spreading disease has been laid to waste by his anti-vaccine activism, with over 5,400 cases reported this year alone and probably countless cases not reported. Measles is not a joke. One in five unvaccinated people per thousand who get it end up in the hospital. One to three unvaccinated people per thousand who get it die. Deaths are most common in young children.
The U.S. had the status of a measles-free country, but the World Health Organization is about to withdraw that status, putting it in the same category as countries like Bangadesh, Guatemala and Cameroon.
Measles is caused by a virus that is extremely infectious and which spreads easily in the air. Here is a map showing where the largest number of cases are as of October:
There is no logical reason for measles to be making a comeback. There is a cheap and safe vaccine for it. For decades, virtually everyone was vaccinated against it and many schools required children to be vaccinated for them to attend. But through Kennedy's pioneering work in quackery, vaccination rates have dropped precipitously and measles has risen from the dead.
The Democrats are likely to attack the administration in multiple ways starting in January. One way is by sidestepping Donald Trump for the moment and impeaching Cabinet officers. The first attempt to impeach Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth failed because a number of Democrats were blocked from getting to the Capitol to vote by traffic and police. They can try again in January.
The next Cabinet officer on the impeachment list is probably Kennedy. He has caused great suffering and millions of dollars in damage due to people getting sick on account of his conspiracy theories and quackery. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Sen.-elect Dr. Annie Andrews (D) are open to impeaching Kennedy, When asked about it, Sanders said: "I am absolutely open to that. The bottom line is we need a secretary of HHS who is concerned about the health and well-being of our kids and all Americans, not involved in crazy conspiracy theories."
As a senator, Sanders cannot introduce a motion to impeach Kennedy. Only a representative can do that. However, as incoming chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, Sanders can most definitely subpoena Kennedy and rake him over the coals in public and point out to the public what a menace to public health he is, which the Senator fully intends to do. The resultant publicity could well be the signal for a House member to file the motion to impeach Kennedy. Of course, Sanders could also just have a chat with one of his many friends in the House during a meeting of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. (V)