A group of Republican senators launched a new caucus devoted to advancing Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda at the Department of Health and Human Services.
Republican Senators Marshall (Kan.), Tuberville (Ala.), Scott (Fla.), Lummis (Wyo.), and Johnson (Wis.) founded the MAHA caucus Thursday as Kennedy met with Republicans on Capitol Hill to begin setting the agenda for his tenure as President elect Donald Trump’s HHS director.
“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.
“With our ‘Food is Medicine’ approach, support from RFK Jr., and a shared goal to Make America Healthy Again, we aim to foster transparency, innovation, and a transformative agenda that builds a healthier, stronger nation.”
Broadly, the MAHA movement is focused on tackling America’s chronic disease crisis by improving American nutrition and circumventing the pharmaceutical industry. Kennedy is a critic of the food industry for promoting unhealthy foods and routinely lambasts the ties between large corporations and public health agencies.
Kennedy’s positions on those issues have attracted support on the Left as well as growing interest on the Right following the public health establishment’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Kennedy was a leading critic of vaccine mandates, stringent lockdowns, and other Covid-19 policies that became consensus among scientists despite limited evidence for their effectiveness.
During the pandemic, dissenters from the scientific narrative like Kennedy were censored on social media at the behest of the federal government. Kennedy, an anti-vaccine activist and environmental lawyer, routinely spreads unproven theories about the efficacy of vaccines and has promoted a range of conspiracy theories on other topics.
“Earlier this week, I met with RFK Jr., President Trump’s nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 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 statement.
“During our meeting, Bobby and I had a great discussion about ways to make our food and health care system better. As a founding member of the Senate Make America Healthy Again Caucus, I look forward to working with my friend Senator Roger Marshall and our colleagues to make sure our food is safe, bring transparency to vaccines and health care, and Make America Healthy Again.”
Kennedy became a prominent Trump surrogate after suspending his much-discussed independent presidential campaign over the summer. He initially gained traction running in the Democratic primary until lagging poll numbers and frustration with the Democratic National Committee caused him to leave the party.
Trump promised on the campaign trail that he would let Kennedy “go wild” on healthcare policy while preventing him from influencing the administration’s environmental agenda.