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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
RFK Jr. faces blowback from senators, former vaccine committee members after firings
Recently fired members of a committee that advises the federal government on immunization safety lashed out at Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., saying that their terminations will limit access to vaccines and put American lives at risk. Kennedy last week abruptly dismissed all members of the committee, which advises the Centers for Diseases Control on vaccine safety. Two days after he dissolved the committee on June 9, Kennedy named eight new members to the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices, including some who have advocated against vaccines. "We are deeply concerned that these destabilizing decisions, made without clear rationale, may roll back the achievements of U.S. immunization policy, impact people's access to lifesaving vaccines, and ultimately put U.S. families at risk of dangerous and preventable illnesses,' the 17 former members wrote in an article published in medical journal JAMA on June 16. The ACIP charter specifies that committee members serve overlapping terms to ensure continuity - and dismissing all the members at the same time 'have stripped the program of the institutional knowledge and continuity that have been essential to its success over decades,' wrote the members, whose committee recommendations also affect insurance coverage and safeguard broad access for vaccines. In announcing his decision to oust the members, Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic, claimed a 'clean sweep' was necessary to reestablish public confidence in vaccine science. The committee would 'no longer function as a rubber stamp for industry profit-taking agendas,' he said. That was the opposite of what Kennedy told Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, during his confirmation hearing to become Trump's cabinet member. "If confirmed, he will maintain the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices without changes," Cassidy said during the hearing. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions called for an immediate bipartisan investigation into the terminations. 'For decades, Secretary Kennedy has spread lies and dangerous conspiracy theories about safe and effective vaccines that have saved millions of lives,' Sanders wrote in a letter to Cassidy. 'Unfortunately, since he has been confirmed I am very concerned that Secretary Kennedy is doubling down on his war on science and disinformation campaign that will lead to preventable illness and death.' Additionally, 22 senators, including Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, and Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia, wrote a joint letter to Kennedy saying they are 'troubled' by the appointment of several members to the committee who have a 'documented history of anti-vaccine ideology and peddling misinformation.' Dr. Robert Malone, one of the new Kenendy appointees is a virologist and vaccine skeptic who became well-known during the COVID-19 pandemic for spreading misinformation about the virus on conservative shows and podcasts. The physician-scientist and biochemist has falsely claimed spike proteins from COVID-19 mRNA vaccines often cause permanent damage to children's vital organs. Firing every member of the committee ahead of their next meeting scheduled for June 25-27 'eliminates the advisory board's ability to debate and make well-informed recommendations, putting American lives at risk,' the senators wrote. Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is a White House Correspondent for USA TODAY. You can follow her on X @SwapnaVenugopal This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: RFK Jr. faces blowback after vaccine committee firings
NBC News
18-06-2025
- Business
- NBC News
Three student loan changes in Republican bill: Getting out of debt would be 'extremely hard,' advocate says
Republicans' 'big beautiful' bill, if enacted as drafted, would make some of the biggest changes to the federal student loan system in decades. GOP House and Senate lawmakers' proposals would eliminate several repayment plans, keep borrowers in debt longer and roll back relief options for those who become unemployed or run into another financial challenge. The House advanced its version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in May. The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions released its budget bill recommendations related to student loans on June 10. Senate lawmakers are preparing to debate the massive tax and spending package. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, said his party's plans would lift the burden on taxpayers of subsidizing college graduates' loan payments. ″[Former President Joe] Biden and Democrats unfairly attempted to shift student debt onto taxpayers that chose not to go to college,' Cassidy said in a statement on June 10. He said his committee's bill would save an estimated $300 billion out of the federal budget. However, consumer advocates say that the legislation will deepen a lending crisis in which millions of borrowers are already struggling to pay off the debt from their education. 'It's not about fiscal responsibility, it's about doing some funny math that justifies tax cuts,' said Astra Taylor, co-founder of the Debt Collective, a union for debtors. 'It's going to be extremely hard for people to get out of debt with these changes,' Taylor said. Here are three big proposals in the GOP bills to overhaul federal student lending. 1. Fewer repayment plans, larger bills Under the Republican proposals, there would be just two repayment plan choices for new borrowers, compared with roughly a dozen options now. Student loan borrowers could either enroll in a standard repayment plan with fixed payments, or an income-based repayment plan known as the ' Repayment Assistance Plan,' or RAP. Under RAP, monthly payments would typically range from 1% to 10% of a borrower's income; the more they earn, the bigger their required payment. There would be a minimum monthly payment of $10 for all borrowers. A typical student loan borrower with a college degree could pay an extra $2,929 per year if the Senate GOP proposal of RAP is enacted, compared with the Biden administration's now-blocked SAVE plan, according to a recent analysis by the Student Borrower Protection Center. The new plan would fail to provide many borrowers with an affordable monthly bill — the goal of Congress when it established income-driven repayment plans in the 1990s, said Michele Zampini, senior director of college affordability at The Institute for College Access & Success. 'If Republicans' proposed 'Repayment Assistance Plan' is the only thing standing between borrowers and default, we can expect many to suffer the nightmarish experience of default,' Zampini said. 2. Longer timelines to loan forgiveness As of now, borrowers who enroll in the standard repayment plan typically get their debt divided into 120 fixed payments, over 10 years. But the Republicans' new standard plan would provide borrowers fixed payments over a period of between 10 years and 25 years, depending on how much they owe. For example, those with a balance exceeding $50,000 would be in repayment for 15 years; if you owe over $100,000, your fixed payments will last for 25 years. Meanwhile, current income-driven repayment plans now conclude in loan forgiveness after 20 years or 25 years. But RAP wouldn't lead to debt erasure until 30 years. 'Thirty years is your adult life,' Taylor said. If RAP becomes law, she said, 'We anticipate an explosion of senior debtors.' 3. Fewer ways to pause bills House and Senate Republicans are also calling for the elimination of the economic hardship and unemployment deferments. Those deferments allow federal student loan borrowers to pause their monthly bills during periods of joblessness or other financial setbacks, often without interest accruing on their debt. Under both options, which have existed for decades, borrowers can avoid payments for up to three years. Under the Senate Republicans' proposal, student loans received on or after July 1, 2026, would no longer qualify for the unemployment deferment or economic hardship deferment. The House plan does away with both deferments a year earlier, on July 1, 2025. 'These protections enable borrowers to stay in good standing on their loans while they get back on their feet,' Zampini said. 'Without them, borrowers who suddenly can't afford their payments will have little recourse, and many will likely enter delinquency and eventually default,' she said.
CNBC
18-06-2025
- Business
- CNBC
3 student loan changes in Republican bill: Getting out of debt would be 'extremely hard,' advocate says
Republicans' "big beautiful" bill, if enacted as drafted, would make some of the biggest changes to the federal student loan system in decades. GOP House and Senate lawmakers' proposals would eliminate several repayment plans, keep borrowers in debt for longer and roll back relief options for those who become unemployed or run into another financial challenge. The House advanced its version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in May. The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions released its budget bill recommendations related to student loans on June 10. Senate lawmakers are preparing to debate the massive tax and spending package. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, said his party's plans would lift the burden on taxpayers of subsidizing college graduate's loan payments. "Biden and Democrats unfairly attempted to shift student debt onto taxpayers that chose not to go to college," Cassidy said in a statement on June 10. He said his committee's bill would save an estimated $300 billion from the federal budget. More from Personal Finance:'SALT' deduction in limbo as Senate Republicans unveil tax planHow Senate GOP 'no tax on tips' proposal differs from House planSenate tax bill includes $1,000 baby bonus in 'Trump accounts' However, consumer advocates say that the legislation will deepen a lending crisis in which millions of borrowers are already struggling to pay off the debt from their education. "It's not about fiscal responsibility, it's about doing some funny math that justifies tax cuts," said Astra Taylor, co-founder of the Debt Collective, a union for debtors. "It's going to be extremely hard for people to get out of debt with these changes," Taylor said. Here are three big proposals in the GOP bills to overhaul federal student lending. Under the Republican proposals, there would be just two repayment plan choices for new borrowers, compared with roughly a dozen options now. Student loan borrowers could either enroll in a standard repayment plan with fixed payments, or an income-based repayment plan known as the "Repayment Assistance Plan," or RAP. Under RAP, monthly payments would typically range from 1% to 10% of a borrower's income; the more they earn, the bigger their required payment. There would be a minimum monthly payment of $10 for all borrowers. A typical student loan borrower with a college degree could pay an extra $2,929 per year if the Senate GOP proposal of RAP is enacted, compared to the Biden administration's now-blocked SAVE plan, according to a recent analysis by the Student Borrower Protection Center. The new plan would fail to provide many borrowers' with an affordable monthly bill — the goal of Congress when it established income-driven repayment plans in the 90s, said Michele Zampini, senior director of college affordability at The Institute for College Access & Success. "If Republicans' proposed 'Repayment Assistance Plan' is the only thing standing between borrowers and default, we can expect many to suffer the nightmarish experience of default," Zampini said. As of now, borrowers who enroll in the standard repayment plan typically get their debt divided into 120 fixed payments, over 10 years. But the Republicans' new standard plan would provide borrowers fixed payments over a period between 10 years and 25 years, depending on how much they owe. For example, those with a balance exceeding $50,000 would be in repayment for 15 years; if you owe over $100,000, your fixed payments will last for 25 years. Meanwhile, current income-driven repayment plans now conclude in loan forgiveness after 20 years or 25 years. But RAP wouldn't lead to debt erasure until 30 years. "Thirty years is your adult life," Taylor said. If RAP becomes law, she said, "We anticipate an explosion of senior debtors." House and Senate Republicans are also calling for the elimination of the economic hardship and unemployment deferments. Those deferments allow federal student loan borrowers to pause their monthly bills during periods of joblessness or other financial setbacks, often without interest accruing on their debt. Under both options, which have existed for decades, borrowers can avoid payments for up to three years. Under the Senate Republicans' proposal, student loans received on or after July 1, 2026, would no longer qualify for the unemployment deferment or economic hardship deferment. The House plan does away with both deferments a year earlier, on July 1, 2025. "These protections enable borrowers to stay in good standing on their loans while they get back on their feet," Zampini said. "Without them, borrowers who suddenly can't afford their payments will have little recourse, and many will likely enter delinquency and eventually default," she said.
USA Today
17-06-2025
- Health
- USA Today
RFK Jr. faces blowback from senators, former vaccine committee members after firings
RFK Jr. faces blowback from senators, former vaccine committee members after firings Show Caption Hide Caption RFK Jr. expels entire CDC vaccine advisory committee Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. removed a 17-member panel at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that issues recommendations on vaccines. unbranded - Newsworthy Recently fired members of a committee that advises the federal government on immunization safety lashed out at Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., saying that their terminations will limit access to vaccines and put American lives at risk. Kennedy last week abruptly dismissed all members of the committee, which advises the Centers for Diseases Control on vaccine safety. Two days after he dissolved the committee on June 9, Kennedy named eight new members to the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices, including some who have advocated against vaccines. "We are deeply concerned that these destabilizing decisions, made without clear rationale, may roll back the achievements of U.S. immunization policy, impact people's access to lifesaving vaccines, and ultimately put U.S. families at risk of dangerous and preventable illnesses,' the 17 former members wrote in an article published in medical journal JAMA on June 16. The ACIP charter specifies that committee members serve overlapping terms to ensure continuity - and dismissing all the members at the same time 'have stripped the program of the institutional knowledge and continuity that have been essential to its success over decades,' wrote the members, whose committee recommendations also affect insurance coverage and safeguard broad access for vaccines. In announcing his decision to oust the members, Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic, claimed a 'clean sweep' was necessary to reestablish public confidence in vaccine science. The committee would 'no longer function as a rubber stamp for industry profit-taking agendas,' he said. That was the opposite of what Kennedy told Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, during his confirmation hearing to become Trump's cabinet member. "If confirmed, he will maintain the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices without changes," Cassidy said during the hearing. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions called for an immediate bipartisan investigation into the terminations. 'For decades, Secretary Kennedy has spread lies and dangerous conspiracy theories about safe and effective vaccines that have saved millions of lives,' Sanders wrote in a letter to Cassidy. 'Unfortunately, since he has been confirmed I am very concerned that Secretary Kennedy is doubling down on his war on science and disinformation campaign that will lead to preventable illness and death.' Additionally, 22 senators, including Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, and Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia, wrote a joint letter to Kennedy saying they are 'troubled' by the appointment of several members to the committee who have a 'documented history of anti-vaccine ideology and peddling misinformation.' Dr. Robert Malone, one of the new Kenendy appointees is a virologist and vaccine skeptic who became well-known during the COVID-19 pandemic for spreading misinformation about the virus on conservative shows and podcasts. The physician-scientist and biochemist has falsely claimed spike proteins from COVID-19 mRNA vaccines often cause permanent damage to children's vital organs. Firing every member of the committee ahead of their next meeting scheduled for June 25-27 'eliminates the advisory board's ability to debate and make well-informed recommendations, putting American lives at risk,' the senators wrote. Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is a White House Correspondent for USA TODAY. You can follow her on X @SwapnaVenugopal
Toronto Sun
12-06-2025
- Health
- Toronto Sun
RFK Jr. picks new members of influential vaccine committee after purge
Published Jun 12, 2025 • 6 minute read U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on Capitol Hill on May 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Photo by Tasos Katopodis / Getty Images Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. named eight people to the influential federal panel that recommends vaccines to Americans on Wednesday, elevating several vaccine critics days after he purged the group's entire membership. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account His picks for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices include a well-known pediatric infectious-diseases expert and at least three people who have criticized the use of mRNA coronavirus vaccines. Some of the more notable selections include Martin Kulldorff, the co-author of the Great Barrington Declaration, which called for herd immunity through mass covid infection in 2020, and Vicky Pebsworth, who is listed on the board of the nation's oldest anti-vaccine group. 'All of these individuals are committed to evidence-based medicine, gold-standard science, and common sense,' Kennedy said in an X post on Wednesday announcing the picks. 'They have each committed to demanding definitive safety and efficacy data before making any new vaccine recommendations.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The other new members are: Joseph R. Hibbeln, a psychiatrist; Retsef Levi, a professor of operations management; Robert W. Malone, a biochemist; Cody Meissner, a pediatrician; James Pagano, an emergency medicine physician; and Michael A. Ross, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology. Kulldorff and Hibbeln declined to comment. Malone told The Washington Post he was honored to be selected but declined to answer additional questions. Kennedy's other picks did not immediately return requests for comment. Malone, a controversial scientist, is an ally of Kennedy's who was at the unveiling of the Make America Healthy Again report at the White House last month. Malone previously sued The Post, alleging defamation over the newspaper's reporting on his advocacy against the coronavirus vaccine. The case was dismissed in 2023. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The selections come after Kennedy on Monday ousted 17 independent vaccine experts who advise the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He said the vaccine committee, which he has criticized for years, has been 'plagued with persistent conflicts of interest' and has become a 'rubber stamp' for vaccines. The new composition of the panel signals Kennedy's plan for U.S. vaccination policy, experts said. The committee's decisions shape which vaccines are administered and to whom – and whether they'll be free and covered by insurance. Public health advocates raised concerns about the future of vaccination under the new committee. 'He is appointing a group of covid contrarians,' said Richard Pan, a pediatrician and former California state lawmaker who often sparred with anti-vaccine activists. 'They have and will undermine trust in vaccination.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. A spokesman for Kennedy did not immediately return a request for comment on the criticisms of the new ACIP members. In an unrelated news conference Tuesday, Kennedy said the group would not be 'anti-vaxxers.' Some of the selections have track records of opposing public health guidance on vaccines. Pebsworth, who has also served on the Food and Drug Administration's Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, had repeatedly expressed concerns about potential harms from coronavirus vaccination. According to her biography on the anti-vaccine group National Vaccine Information Center's website, she has worked with the group 'since 2006 on vaccine safety analytical and education projects.' The organization says it promotes informed consent instead of making 'vaccine use recommendations.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Kulldorff has said he was fired from his position as a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School over his refusal to get the coronavirus vaccine, which he has advocated against. In a 2021 op-ed co-written with the now head of the National Institutes of Health Jay Bhattacharya, Kulldorff wrote: 'The widespread use of vaccines against polio, measles, mumps, rubella, rabies and other pathogens has saved millions of lives. … Those pushing for coercive Covid vaccination threaten all this progress by undermining public trust in vaccines.' Levi, a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, has been highly critical of mRNA vaccines and tweeted in January 2023 that 'the evidence is mounting and indisputable that MRNA vaccines cause serious harm including death, especially among young people. We have to stop giving them immediately!' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Some public health advocates who criticized Kennedy's other picks for ACIP offered a more positive assessment of Meissner, a pediatric infectious-disease specialist at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. He has served on FDA and CDC vaccine advisory committees. In an interview with The Post in February, Meissner praised measles vaccination and criticized the Biden administration's universal recommendation for coronavirus vaccines, including for healthy younger people. Kennedy has sought to change the membership of the vaccine panel since shortly after taking office, said Jeffrey Klausner, a professor of medicine and public health at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine and former CDC medical officer who gave Kennedy recommendations in mid-February. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'He wanted highly credentialed, non-conflicted scientists and doctors who can look at data and make recommendations objectively,' Klausner said. He recalled Kennedy rejecting two names on the list, calling one 'too much of an industry shill' and the other 'clearly anti-vax.' Klausner declined to identify the two individuals. A spokesman for Kennedy did not return a request for comment on Klausner's account. Klausner said the only ACIP nominee who raised concerns for him was Malone, who has disparaged coronavirus vaccination, raising concerns about its effectiveness and side effects. Malone 'worked to undermine confidence in covid vaccination – which has saved hundreds of thousands of U.S. lives – and has actively contributed to vaccine hesitancy,' Klausner said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Malone has previously called those critiques 'attacks.' A document that HHS sent Tuesday to health officials and dozens of organizations before the new members were announced stated that Kennedy's decision to remove the previous panel members does not affect insurance coverage of vaccines, the childhood vaccine schedule, programs that rely on the committee's recommendations or the panel's procedures. Kennedy has said the panel's June 25-27 meeting will go forward as scheduled. Recommendation votes are scheduled for coronavirus, influenza, meningococcal, HPV and RSV vaccines for adults, pregnant women and infants. A quorum of at least eight ACIP members is required to hold a vote. Kennedy has blasted the committee for never voting against vaccines. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. But the panel has voted to reverse vaccine recommendations based on safety data showing elevated risks of serious complications, including the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine and a rotavirus vaccine. The panel also has changed an initial recommendation to use a nasal spray as the preferred way to protect children against the flu, after data showed that method was no longer more effective than shots, said Jamie Loehr, a family physician in New York ousted from the committee. 'The whole goal is to have evidence that the vaccines work and are protecting people,' said Loehr, who had served as a voting member of the panel since 2021. Medical and professional organizations condemned Kennedy for purging the committee, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians, the American Association of Immunologists, the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the American Nurses Association. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The American College of Physicians issued a statement Wednesday evening calling for Kennedy to halt the appointments and restore the previous committee members. 'The speed with which these members were selected, and the lack of transparency in the process, does not help to restore public confidence and trust,' said Jason Goldman, the group's president. On Tuesday, the AMA, at its annual meeting, called for Kennedy to immediately reverse his decision and called for a Senate investigation into his actions. Nomination to serve on the vaccine committee has traditionally followed months of vetting, members have said. Under the ACIP charter, members should have expertise in immunization practices or public health, clinical experience using vaccines or a background researching them. The committee is also supposed to include a member who brings a consumer perspective to vaccine policy. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Kennedy has accused ACIP members of having conflicts of interest, pointing to previous government reports about them having financial stakes in their decisions. Members declare conflicts of interest stemming from their past work with vaccine makers at the start of meetings and recuse themselves from votes that could benefit the companies to which they had financial ties. In March, the CDC unveiled a tool to make it easier to see and search the relationships with vaccine manufacturers for potential conflicts disclosed by ACIP members and votes they recused themselves from as a result. Since taking over as the nation's top health official in February, Kennedy has pushed back against establishment vaccine policy in the United States. He pushed out the Food and Drug Administration's top vaccine scientist and hired a vaccine skeptic to evaluate vaccine safety data. He has raised questions about how the U.S. tests vaccines and unilaterally announced that federal health officials would no longer recommend coronavirus vaccines for healthy children and healthy pregnant women. Celebrity Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls Toronto Maple Leafs Columnists
