RFK Jr. Vetting Candidates For Trump’s Appointees To Top Health Jobs

Politico: RFK Jr. Crowdsources Names For Trump Appointees
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is working to crowdsource names for the more than 4,000 appointees under the second upcoming Trump administration. Kennedy, a former environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine crusader, launched a website that asks the public to submit names of candidates who might be qualified for positions in environmental, energy, agriculture, labor policies and beyond. (Borst, 11/11)

Reuters: RFK Jr Reviewing Resumes For Top Trump Health Jobs, Sources Say
Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the former independent presidential candidate, is reviewing candidate resumes for the top jobs at the U.S. government's health agencies in Donald Trump's incoming administration, a former Kennedy aide and a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday. Kennedy, of the famed political family, has been asked to recommend appointees for all regulatory health agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration, said Del Bigtree, who was director of communications for Kennedy's campaign and remains close to the former candidate. (Kelly, 11/9)

Newsweek: RFK Jr. Suggests Replacing Hundreds Of Federal Health Employees
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said over the weekend that he intends to terminate 600 employees at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and replace them with a new group of workers. Speaking at the Genius Network Annual Event in Scottsdale, Kennedy highlighted his involvement in vetting candidates for President-elect Donald Trump's upcoming administration as part of his effort to overhaul America's health agencies significantly. (Whisnant, 11/11)

Roll Call: How RFK Jr.’s Health Proposals Would Stack Up In Practice 
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is lined up to advise the incoming Trump administration on its health policy agenda, has floated broad plans to “make America healthy again.” But how he will accomplish his wide-ranging agenda is still a question mark. Kennedy’s suggestions have ranged from gutting parts of the Food and Drug Administration to working to remove fluoride from the water supply. While it’s still unclear whether he will hold a formal position in Donald Trump’s cabinet or serve as an adviser, here’s a look at the viability of Kennedy’s major ideas. (DeGroot, 11/8)   

The Hill: RFK Jr.’s New Bully Pulpit Sends Public Health Shock Waves
Experts say there are institutional guardrails in place at federal agencies that would prevent some of the most radical changes from happening, such as having vaccines pulled off the market. Pushback from courts, industry and Congress could temper Trump and Kennedy’s vision for radical changes. But they are concerned Kennedy could still have an outsized impact. “I worry greatly for the future of public health, environment and science in the next four years,” said Lawrence Gostin, a global health law professor at Georgetown University Law Center. (Weixel, 11/10)

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?' Podcast: Trump 2.0 
Health care might not have been the biggest issue in the campaign, but the return of Donald Trump to the presidency is likely to have a seismic impact on health policy over the next four years. Changes to the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, and the nation’s public health infrastructure are likely on the agenda. But how far Trump goes will depend largely on who staffs key health policy roles and on whether Democrats take a majority in the U.S. House, where several races remain uncalled. (11/8)