77 Nobel Laureates Oppose RFKJr's Nomination to Head DHHS

For the reportedly first time ever, 77 Nobel Prize Laureates have written a letter (also: here) to the members of the U.S. Senate in which they urge rejection of the Trump Secretary-designate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to head the $1.8 trillion/year Department of Health and Human Services. DHHS is the mother ship for operating divisions that administer over 100 health and safety programs. The divisions include:  

• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
• Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
• Administration on Aging
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (formerly Health Care Finance Administration)
• Office of Child Support Enforcement 
• Office of Child Support Services 
• Administration for Children and Families 
• Office of Family Assistance
• Food and Drug Administration
• Health Resources and Services Administration
• Indian Health Service
• Inspector General Office, Health and Human Services Department
• National Institutes of Health
• National Library of Medicine
• Program Support Center
• Public Health Service
• Office of Refugee Resettlement 
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• Community Living Administration
• Strategic Preparedness and Response Administration

The laureates's bill of particulars is as familiar as it is damning: 

In addition to his lack of credentials or relevant experience in medicine, science, public health, or administration, Mr. Kennedy has been an opponent of many health-protecting and life-saving vaccines, such as those that prevent measles and polio; a critic of the well-established positive effects of fluoridation of drinking water; a promoter of conspiracy theories about remarkably successful treatments for AIDS and other diseases; and a belligerent critic of respected agencies (especially the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control, and the National Institutes of Health). The leader of DHHS should continue to nurture and improve---not threaten---these important and highly respected institutions and their employees.

In conclusion:  

In view of his record, placing Mr. Kennedy in charge of DHHS would put the public's health in jeopardy and undermine America's global leadership in the health sciences, in both the public and commercial sectors.

If there is a Senate vote on Mr. Kennedy's nomination -- which is still a matter of some doubt -- we will find out if the Senator -- and Senate Republicans in particular -- share Trump's and Kennedy's disdain for science and medicine and expertise earned over lifetimes of work in these fields.