Key Takeaways
- • Congressman Steve Cohen (D-Tennessee), a polio survivor, issued a formal statement on September 4 calling for Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to resign or be removed by the President, following Kennedy's Senate Finance Committee testimony.
- • Kennedy faced bipartisan questioning during the hearing regarding vaccine policy, including concerns from Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyoming) about potential jeopardy to vaccine programs following CDC director Susan Monarez's firing and cuts to research funding.
- • Cohen characterized Kennedy as "a clear and present danger to every child and to the general health of the people of the United States," citing Kennedy's questioning of polio vaccine efficacy, restrictions on COVID vaccines, and efforts to create doubt about routine childhood immunizations for mumps and measles.
- • Kennedy's attorney, Aaron Siri, previously petitioned the U.S. Government to revoke approval of the polio vaccine—a development Cohen criticized in December and highlighted as evidence of systematic threats to vaccine regimens.
- • Cohen emphasized his personal credibility on the issue as a polio survivor and post-polio syndrome victim, framing his call for removal as a duty to protect current and future generations from vaccine-preventable diseases.
Summary
On September 4, 2025, Congressman Steve Cohen issued a formal statement calling for the resignation or removal of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. following Kennedy's testimony before the Senate Finance Committee. The hearing occurred amid high-profile departures at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the appointment of vaccine critics to federal advisory committees, and ongoing concerns about vaccine policy within the Trump administration.
During the Senate hearing, Kennedy faced critical questioning from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers regarding whether he would honor earlier commitments not to block vaccine access for Americans who desire vaccination. Kennedy denied allegations of taking vaccines away from people; however, Sen. John Barrasso expressed concerns that certain vaccines could face jeopardy following Kennedy's decisions to cut CDC research funding and fire CDC director Susan Monarez. The hearing underscored significant bipartisan skepticism about Kennedy's vaccine stewardship.
Cohen's statement emphasized his unique position as a polio survivor and post-polio syndrome victim. He stated it was his "duty on behalf of all polio victims past and present" to demand Kennedy's removal, characterizing him as posing clear danger to American public health. Cohen specifically cited Kennedy's questioning of polio vaccine efficacy as particularly dangerous, noting that those who contracted polio—including himself—never had access to the vaccine as a preventative measure. Cohen warned that restricting or questioning the polio vaccine's efficacy would reduce vaccination rates and "could bring back the polio epidemic in our nation."
Cohen also pointed to broader patterns of vaccine skepticism within Kennedy's tenure, including restrictions on COVID vaccines that Cohen argued have "likely leading to more cases of Covid and more unnecessary deaths," and efforts to sow doubt about routine childhood vaccinations for mumps and measles. He referenced prior criticism of Kennedy's attorney, Aaron Siri, who petitioned the federal government to revoke polio vaccine approval—an action Cohen flagged as symptomatic of systematic threats to established vaccine regimens. Cohen concluded by acknowledging his prior friendship with Kennedy but asserted that his experience as a polio victim compels him to speak publicly against what he views as dangerous public health policy.
During the Senate hearing, Kennedy faced critical questioning from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers regarding whether he would honor earlier commitments not to block vaccine access for Americans who desire vaccination. Kennedy denied allegations of taking vaccines away from people; however, Sen. John Barrasso expressed concerns that certain vaccines could face jeopardy following Kennedy's decisions to cut CDC research funding and fire CDC director Susan Monarez. The hearing underscored significant bipartisan skepticism about Kennedy's vaccine stewardship.
Cohen's statement emphasized his unique position as a polio survivor and post-polio syndrome victim. He stated it was his "duty on behalf of all polio victims past and present" to demand Kennedy's removal, characterizing him as posing clear danger to American public health. Cohen specifically cited Kennedy's questioning of polio vaccine efficacy as particularly dangerous, noting that those who contracted polio—including himself—never had access to the vaccine as a preventative measure. Cohen warned that restricting or questioning the polio vaccine's efficacy would reduce vaccination rates and "could bring back the polio epidemic in our nation."
Cohen also pointed to broader patterns of vaccine skepticism within Kennedy's tenure, including restrictions on COVID vaccines that Cohen argued have "likely leading to more cases of Covid and more unnecessary deaths," and efforts to sow doubt about routine childhood vaccinations for mumps and measles. He referenced prior criticism of Kennedy's attorney, Aaron Siri, who petitioned the federal government to revoke polio vaccine approval—an action Cohen flagged as symptomatic of systematic threats to established vaccine regimens. Cohen concluded by acknowledging his prior friendship with Kennedy but asserted that his experience as a polio victim compels him to speak publicly against what he views as dangerous public health policy.
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