Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
RFK Jr.'s Role As Possible HHS Chief Faces Pushback On Multiple Fronts
NBC News: RFK Jr.'s No. 1 Hurdle To Take On Unhealthy Food: Money
The FDA’s food division, poised to play a significant role in Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s ambitions, operates on a tight budget. Unlike the agency’s drug division, which sustains itself largely through user fees charged to pharmaceutical companies when they apply for drug approval, its food division relies more heavily on funding from Congress, said Jerold Mande, a former FDA senior adviser and former deputy undersecretary for food safety at the Department of Agriculture. (Separately, Kennedy has suggested he wants to end user fees, arguing the system creates a conflict of interest.) (Lovelace Jr., 11/18)
NPR: Some Farm Experts See 'Danger' In Trump's Embrace Of Kennedy And Tariffs
President-elect Donald Trump won farm country by wide margins in this month's election, with rural voters helping fuel his return to the White House. But some farmers, economists, analysts and others in the agriculture industry are voicing alarm over Trump plans that could disrupt America's $1.5 trillion food industry. Trump moved this past week to put Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in charge of the Department of Health and Human Services, which includes the Food and Drug Administration. A nomination requires confirmation by the U.S. Senate. (Mann, 11/17)
On RFK Jr. and vaccine policy —
Stat: RFK Jr.'s Vaccine Lawsuit History Offers Clues On His Policy Making
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took leave as chairman of Children’s Health Defense, a nonprofit known for spreading doubt about vaccines, to run for president last year. But he is still fighting in court alongside the group, putting him in an unusual position for someone nominated as Secretary of Health and Human Services. (Cueto, 11/19)
The New York Times: Five Ways R.F.K. Jr. Could Undermine Lifesaving Childhood Vaccines
Legal and public health experts agree that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would not have the authority to take some of the most severe actions, such as unilaterally banning vaccines, which Mr. Kennedy has said he has no intention of doing. “I’m not going to take anyone’s vaccines away from them,” he wrote on social media last month. “I just want to be sure every American knows the safety profile, the risk profile, and the efficacy of each vaccine.” But Mr. Kennedy, who has said that he wants federal researchers to pull back from studying infectious diseases, could exert his influence in many other ways. His actions could reduce vaccination rates, delay the development of new vaccines and undermine public confidence in a critical public health tool. (Anthes and Baumbaertner, 11/19)
The Hill: American Public Health Association Warns Against RFK Jr. For HHS
A leading public health organization is sounding the alarm over Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. The American Public Health Association (APHA) said Kennedy “fails on all fronts” as a candidate to lead the nation’s top health agency. “We urge President-elect Trump to select a qualified health leader that is properly trained and has the management skills to be the nation’s top health official,” APHA President Georges Benjamin said. (Weixel, 11/18)
On Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk —
Axios: RFK Jr. Vs. Vivek: Trump World's Two Paths For Pharma Regulation
Between Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Vivek Ramaswamy, the incoming Trump administration has divergent views on regulating the pharmaceutical industry. Why it matters: Both influential MAGA allies say there are deep problems with America's drug development system. But RFK Jr., the Health and Human Services secretary designee, is calling for more oversight of drugs and vaccines and diminished federal funding for R&D. Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur who will lead a new "Department of Government Efficiency" with Elon Musk, is a small government aficionado who's called for fewer barriers to bringing drugs to market. (Goldman, 11/19)
Axios: Musk, Top Trump Adviser Clash Over Cabinet Picks
Elon Musk, who fueled Trump's election effort by giving at least $119 million, has quickly become an influential figure in President-elect Trump's inner circle, but there are signs of tension between Musk and a longtime Trump adviser over Cabinet appointments to the new administration. The friction between Musk and Boris Epshteyn — a top adviser who's pushed for Cabinet picks that include Matt Gaetz for attorney general — surfaced in public last week. It signaled a rivalry stemming from Musk's growing influence on the president-elect, to the dismay of some Trump loyalists. (Cai, 11/18)
The New York Times: Elon Musk Asked People To Upload Their Health Data. X Users Obliged
Over the past few weeks, users on X have been submitting X-rays, MRIs, CT scans and other medical images to Grok, the platform’s artificial intelligence chatbot, asking for diagnoses. The reason: Elon Musk, X’s owner, suggested it. “This is still early stage, but it is already quite accurate and will become extremely good,” Musk said in a post. The hope is that if enough users feed the A.I. their scans, it will eventually get good at interpreting them accurately. Patients could get faster results without waiting for a portal message, or use Grok as a second opinion. (Passarella, 11/18)
