Several House Democrats are investigating Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over his bird flu response, which they called “dangerous and reckless.”
In a Tuesday letter addressed to Kennedy, the Democrats said they were “troubled to hear” he considers “the ‘possibility of letting [avian flu] run through the flock so that we can identify the birds, and preserve the birds, that are immune to it,’ to be a potentially effective strategy to end the bird flu epidemic.”
“Allowing avian flu to ravage flocks across the country is dangerous and reckless, and is an approach unsupported by scientists, public health officials, and veterinarians,” the group continued. “This ‘strategy’ also coincides with the emergence of a new strain of a highly pathogenic bird flu known as H7N9, which surfaced at a poultry farm in Mississippi earlier this month and led to the deaths of 46,000 birds.”
Those who signed the letter were Democratic Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi (Ill.), Emily Randall (Wash.), Wesley Bell (Mo.), Lateefah Simon (Calif.) and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee ranking member Rep. Gerry Connolly (Va.).
Since last year, there have been 70 American cases of bird flu and one death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Kennedy has a history of controversial views around health, most notably on vaccines. When was asked about bird flu during a confirmation hearing for his current role, he responded that he “intends to devote the appropriate resources to preventing pandemics.”
In the Tuesday letter, the Democrats asked Kennedy for information including “documents and communications related to coordination” among the HHS, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the CDC and National Institutes of Heath regarding mitigation of avian flu and “any non-governmental experts consulted by HHS related to the federal response to avian flu, such as public health officials, epidemiologists, scientists, veterinarians, etc.”
The Hill has reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services for comment.
