BURSTA coalition of Republican Senators have joined forces to support Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s proposals as he seeks confirmation as President-elect Trump's secretary of Health and Human Services.
Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Ky.) announced the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) caucus along with five other conservative lawmakers on Thursday.
“The MAHA caucus is committed to improving health outcomes by prioritizing nutrition, providing access to affordable, nutrient-dense foods, and focusing on primary care availability to tackle the root causes of chronic diseases,” Marshall said in a statement.
Other members of the Pro-RFK Jr. caucus are Sens. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), and Ron Johnson (R-Wisc).
The senators are also among a longer list of Republicans who met this week with Kennedy, a longtime environmental lawyer who launched a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, before becoming an independent candidate, then ultimately exiting the race to back Trump.
After meeting the nominee on Tuesday, Tuberville said Kennedy told him of an "agreement" with Trump on abortion, a possible sticking point for Republicans skeptical of Kennedy's more liberal views on reproductive rights.
In a release about the MAHA Caucus, Tuberville said they also had a "great discussion about ways to make our food and health care system better.”
“Like I told him, I’ve heard from young people across the country who are inspired by his message to Make America Healthy Again,” Tuberville said in a release.
The prospect of Kennedy leading the country's health agencies has struck fear among public health experts, particularly due to his leading role in promoting vaccine skepticism and debunked claims about immunizations.
But he's also promised to shake up the country's food and drug industries, promoting healthy lifestyles and disrupting corporate forces driving obesity, addiction and other illnesses — a platform that has broad political appeal but has spooked markets.
Kennedy resigned earlier this month as chairman of Children's Health Defense, an anti-vaccine nonprofit that he led for years. Kennedy has played down concerns that he would curb vaccine access, but his critics are more worried about how increased vaccine resistance and skepticism could raise the outbreak risk for measles and other diseases.
The MAHA caucus said it will work alongside Kennedy and Trump to reduce the rate of illness across the country.
“America is sicker than ever, and President Trump has made it a priority to address America’s chronic disease epidemic,” Lummis said.
“I am partnering with Dr. Roger Marshall to make America healthy again and hold the federal agencies who have failed the American people accountable.”