Lead: Members of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s own family publicly urged the HHS secretary to resign on Sept. 6, 2025, saying his recent actions — including rolling back COVID-19 vaccine guidance and dismissing senior CDC officials — endanger Americans’ health after a contentious Senate hearing this week.
Key Takeaways
- Kerry Kennedy and Joseph P. Kennedy III publicly called for RFK Jr. to step down as HHS secretary.
- The family statements followed a three-hour Senate Finance Committee hearing earlier in the week.
- Kennedy has overseen significant changes to federal public health policy over the past seven months.
- Those changes include revised COVID-19 vaccine recommendations and the firing of high-level CDC officials, and have prompted thousands of layoffs.
- Medical groups, some states and bipartisan lawmakers expressed alarm at the pace and direction of the changes.
- Officials in several Democratic-led states issued their own vaccine guidance in response.
- Family members framed their call as a public-health concern rather than a partisan attack.
Verified Facts
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. serves as Secretary of Health and Human Services. During a three-hour Senate Finance Committee hearing this past week, he faced questions from lawmakers across the aisle about his leadership of federal health agencies and recent policy reversals.
On Sept. 5–6, 2025, two prominent family members — Kerry Kennedy and Joseph P. Kennedy III — issued statements calling for his resignation. Joseph P. Kennedy III wrote on X that “Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a threat to the health and wellbeing of every American.” Kerry Kennedy said medical decisions should remain with trained, licensed professionals.
Over roughly seven months in office, Kennedy has pursued sweeping changes at agencies under HHS, including revising COVID-19 vaccine recommendations and removing some senior CDC officials. Those actions have coincided with large-scale personnel shifts; multiple outlets and agency notices report thousands of federal layoffs tied to agency reorganization.
Medical societies and public-health officials reacted negatively to several of the policy changes. Some Democratic-led states responded by issuing their own vaccine guidance to health providers, citing concerns about federal recommendations and continuity of care.
Context & Impact
RFK Jr.’s rise to HHS put a long-time vaccine skeptic into a top public-health role, a shift from his previous advocacy outside government. Critics say translating formerly fringe views into federal policy risks confusing the public and eroding trust in established health institutions.
The firings and guideline changes have immediate operational effects: public-health programs rely on federal guidance for procurement, distribution and state coordination. Rapid change has prompted some states and health systems to issue parallel guidance, creating potential divergence in vaccination coverage and public messaging.
Political fallout is bipartisan. Although Kennedy was nominated by a Republican administration, members of his own Democratic family stressed the call is driven by health concerns. Lawmakers from both parties pressed him at the hearing over specifics of his decisions and their implications for disease prevention and agency morale.
- Short-term: Conflicting guidance may complicate vaccine campaigns and hospital preparedness.
- Medium-term: Continued staff turnover could slow research, surveillance and emergency response.
- Long-term: Public trust in vaccine recommendations and federal health agencies could be affected depending on how the situation unfolds.
Official Statements
“Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a threat to the health and wellbeing of every American.”
Joseph P. Kennedy III, post on X
“Medical decisions belong in the hands of trained and licensed professionals, not incompetent and misguided leadership.”
Kerry Kennedy, statement
Unconfirmed
- Any immediate, formal plans by Kennedy to resign have not been confirmed by HHS at the time of reporting.
- Exact totals and timelines for all layoffs across HHS agencies are still being compiled; “thousands” is the figure reported by agency notices and multiple outlets but may be updated as agencies finalize counts.
Bottom Line
The public call from RFK Jr.’s family intensifies scrutiny of his tenure at HHS and highlights concerns about rapidly enacted changes to federal public-health policy. How the administration, Congress and state health officials respond in the coming days will shape vaccine policy, agency stability and public confidence.