Why top Democrats are floating impeachment for RFK Jr. while trying to build ties with MAHA activists

Why top Democrats are floating impeachment for RFK Jr. while trying to build ties with MAHA activists Some high-ranking lawmakers have suggested impeaching the leader of the MAHA movement - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in A balancing act awaits congressional Democrats when they take control of Congress in January: how hard it is to go after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. without alienating the movement they hope to win over. One of their many oversight targets will be Kennedy himself. His overhaul of longstanding vaccine guidance and his cuts to medical research over the past two years have drawn fiery criticism. Some high-ranking lawmakers have suggested impeaching him. But those efforts could conflict with another growing priority for many lawmakers on the left: nurturing common ground with Kennedy's Make America Healthy Again followers to secure their political support. It could prove a difficult balance, since many MAHA activists whom Democrats are courting as part of their new coalition still view Kennedy as their closest ally. “It’s an unenviable position for Democrats to be in,” said Matt Motta, a professor at Boston University School of Public Health. In addition to treading carefully not to upset MAHA voters, Motta said, the lawmakers will also have to answer to a left-leaning base that wants more accountability from Kennedy on vaccines as measles outbreaks surge around the country. Some members of the MAHA movement said they're eager to work with Democrats to pass legislation on shared interests, like regulating pesticides and making school lunches healthier. But extensive investigations into Kennedy, or hostility toward him, could complicate those collaborations. “I’m not saying that the Democratic leadership can’t continue to have an irrational war on Secretary Kennedy until they collapse,” said Mark Gorton, president of the Kennedy-aligned MAHA Institute. “But when they do that, they alienate all the MAHA voters out there, the people who really care about fighting corporate capture.” Democrats are ready to hold Kennedy's feet to the fire Kennedy was a lifelong Democrat before running for president as an independent in 2024 and then throwing his support behind President Donald Trump's campaign. Since joining the Trump administration, he has repeatedly clashed with his former party. Democrats have assailed his Health and Human Services Department for sweeping staffing cuts unleashed as part of Trump's government efficiency push. They have also attacked the decision to eliminate areas of scientific study that the administration deemed too focused on diversity, equity and inclusion. They've also grilled him in congressional hearings over his efforts to change government vaccine policies while sidestepping long-held protocols for that reform. Accordingly, when Democrats swept the midterm elections last week, many took to social media to call for Kennedy to vacate his position. “Unless RFK Jr. is interested in spending the next two years in front of congressional committees, he should go ahead and resign now,” Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., wrote on social media. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., most likely the next chair of the House Judiciary Committee, has vowed to investigate Kennedy's “wrongdoing.” Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., said on CNN that Kennedy should be one of two high-priority targets for impeachment for the House majority next year. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is poised to take over the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which has jurisdiction over Kennedy's department. He told the network he is “absolutely open” to that idea. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., is expected to chair another committee with HHS jurisdiction next year: the Senate Finance Committee. He told The Associated Press he plans to hold Kennedy and the administration accountable “for actions that have harmed children, raised health costs, and made America less healthy.” He already launched two investigations into Kennedy this week. One is into the accuracy of his testimony about a 2019 trip to Samoa. The other is into his reported acceptance of hundreds of thousands of dollars in lavish gifts. “For those that have broken the law and betrayed the trust of taxpayers and American families, nothing should be off the table,” Wyden said. But Democrats also see MAHA followers as potential supporters Even as many Democrats want to see Kennedy answer for his actions, others are open to working with him – and certainly with his followers. At least some aspects of the sprawling MAHA movement resonate with U.S. adults of both parties, such as reducing processed foods and addressing government corruption. The new Congress creates a rare opportunity for coalition building. It also helps Democrats that many MAHA followers have soured on the Republican Trump administration, seeing recent actions like an executive order boosting pesticide use as a betrayal of their trust. More cracks in that support have emerged since the election. Calley Means, a former administration adviser and top MAHA advocate recently accused White House officials of catering to foreign and domestic lobbyists at the expense of Americans' health. But in the interviews where he made those accusations, he also praised Kennedy. Maine Rep. Chellie Pingree, Massachusetts Rep. Jim McGovern and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker are among those who have teamed up with MAHA activists to devise proposals on topics like regenerative agriculture, healthy school lunches and liability for pesticide manufacturers. Pingree told the AP she hopes that cooperation can continue, even though many of her MAHA-aligned contacts remain strong supporters of Kennedy. Whether Democratic colleagues try to impeach Kennedy is “out of my hands,” she said. But “if he’s still there, I’m hoping we can continue to work on some of these things and make whatever gains we can.” McGovern said he's been clear with MAHA leaders he works with that “we need to hold RFK Jr. accountable for his broken promises and lying to his supporters while enabling the corruption he swore he would stand up to.” “The MAHA leaders I’m talking to quietly agree and are ready to move forward together to actually fix the broken status quo in Washington,” he said. New Democratic additions to Congress are also cautiously open to working with Kennedy and his followers. Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed, a former public health official, has called Kennedy a grifter. He told the AP he wants to understand how his department made decisions over the past two years on issues like vaccine recommendations. But he said he could still collaborate with Kennedy on policies to make America healthier, on one condition. “If he wants to be evidence driven, I’ll work with him,” El-Sayed said. Boosting health affordability could be Democrats' most urgent task Democrats will also be balancing MAHA-minded legislation with goals that resonate with an even wider swath of Americans: lowering health costs and boosting healthcare access. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments