June 2, 2026
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) — Today, 314 Action held a virtual press conference with Protect our Care to call out the dangerous leadership vacuum in Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Department of Health and Human Services. 314 Action President Shaughnessy Naughton was joined by Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Wisconsin Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez, ER physician Dr. Amish Shah, former USAID employee Jess Lewis, and Dr. Demetre Daskalakis.
There is no permanent FDA head, no permanent Surgeon General, and no permanent CDC director. In the middle of an Ebola outbreak that is at risk of becoming ‘deadliest on record,’, the administration pushed out the head of NIH’s Infectious Disease Institute after ousting 80% of top officials at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Excerpts from their remarks are below:
Shaughnessy Naughton, President of 314 Action
“The danger that RFK Jr. is to public health, both today and into the future, can’t be overstated. America has led the world in science and innovation, because of our investments in basic research, in education, and scientific discovery—and that is being dismantled by this administration, and particularly with RFK Jr. at the head of HHS…We need scientists and doctors stepping up at all levels, from city council and their school boards to the state legislature and the federal level to take a seat at the table and to hold this administration accountable and to build back a public health system that actually serves the American people.”
Senator Angela Alsobrooks, U.S. Senator for Maryland
“What we know is that Secretary Kennedy has not only failed us in his own leadership—but since he doesn’t recognize or appreciate or value good leadership, he also failed to have leaders who could be confirmed in the seats that are so important at the time. At a time when the worst measles outbreak in decades is still rising, and as Ebola and hantavirus threaten the globe, there is no one in control in these critical positions. But what’s more harmful is that he’s also filling these seats with people largely who are individuals who are loyal to the administration, but not necessarily loyal to the American people. It is an unmitigated disaster that could have— and should have—been avoided.”
Sara Rodriguez, Lt. Gov of Wisconsin, and former Nurse
“RFK Jr. fired an entire panel of independent experts that guides our children’s vaccines and hand picked them and replaced them with skeptics. He moved to cut the list of diseases that we protect our kids from, from 17 down to 11. A third of that protection just gone with the stroke of a pen and, every single day, the most powerful health official in America tells us to not trust the safest, most lifesaving tool of medicine that we have ever had. We have a vaccine skeptic running the agency in charge of vaccines—that’s not a difference of opinion. People will die who did not have to..”
Demetre C. Daskalakis, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Officer of the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center
“A public health workforce cannot be rebuilt overnight, although we saw that it can be destroyed overnight. So, recruitment, retention, and training is key, and none of these are being emphasized with the current leadership at HHS. It’s important to remember that staffing is not about headcount—it’s about trust. And it’s really clear to say that the staff at CDC don’t trust leadership at HHS, they don’t trust the scenario that they’re being put at risk.”
Dr. Amish Shah, ER doctor and former Arizona House Member
“In the emergency department, I’m looking for the most up-to-date recommendations from the CDC for scientific medical research and guidance…The CDC was always thought of as fair, neutral, objective, factual, scientific, rather than political until RFK took over. Now it’s infused with politics. And now when I want to look up something, we are thinking, ‘let’s look for some alternative trusted sources.’”
Jess Lewis, former USAID and WHO employee
“When USAID was dismantled, we lost so much more than funding. We lost experienced public health experts, these outbreak response teams, local partnerships, and we deeply damaged trust that our government used to have with governments around the world and with local communities. We also shut down the systems that allowed us to detect and respond quickly when these diseases emerged, weakening our ability to prevent crises before they reached our shores. When we dismantle public health institutions, abandon our international partnerships, and force experienced experts out of public service, we don’t just lose the programs. We lose the rest of that ecosystem, the early warning systems, the trust we’ve built over decades with other governments and local communities, and the scientific expertise that keeps Americans safe.”
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