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Rejecting Robert F. Kennedy as a threat to children’s health: The United States Senate must reject Robert F. Kennedy's nomination as Health and Human Services Secretary. I’ve detailed some of the dangers RFK Jr poses to science, medicine, and public health in my op-ed in The Boston Globe:
When children die of measles, their lungs inflame and fill with fluid. They die gasping for air. It’s a tragedy all the more awful for being preventable.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. consigned scores of children to this death in 2019. On tour in Samoa for his anti-vax road show, he spread enough fear and confusion to derail its vaccination campaign. What happened next is history — and biology. Measles infected thousands. Eighty-three people, the majority of them children, died in pain. Kennedy called it a “natural experiment.”
He moved on to COVID-19. Using his famous last name as a platform, Kennedy claimed the virus was “ethnically targeted” to protect the Jews and Chinese and harm white and Black Americans. This kind of conspiracy theorizing was not new for him — he’s a 9/11 skeptic who doesn’t believe AIDS is caused by a virus — but the notoriety was. He cashed in with a bestselling book while the pandemic killed millions.
Now Donald Trump is setting Kennedy up to “go wild” as secretary of health and human services. Kennedy is not just unqualified, he is dangerous — particularly for children. The Senate must reject him.
Read the full op-ed here.
YIMBY: Build more housing: The cost of housing is the greatest economic challenge facing Massachusetts. The answer: build more housing. At all levels of government, Americans need permitting and land use reforms that unlock more housing production. That is why I was honored to co-launch the pro-housing “Yes In My Back Yard” (Y.I.M.B.Y.) Caucus to promote the development of housing nationwide.
The Y.I.M.B.Y. movement focuses on encouraging new housing development, removing barriers to the construction of new homes, and investing in the infrastructure needed to unlock more affordable and walkable neighborhoods. The U.S. housing supply shortage, which is estimated at 7 million units, deprives young Americans of a strong start, pushes Americans into homelessness, and squeezes seniors on fixed incomes. My colleagues and I will work to address these challenges at the federal level and convene regularly with local and state leaders who determine the bulk of housing policy.
Reaffirming the U.S. commitment to Ukraine’s victory: Last week marked 1,000 days since Russia initiated its brutal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. One thousand days into World War II, the United States and its allies had not yet won, either.
With support, Ukraine can win this war:
- A secure Eastern border
- Freedom of navigation in the Black Sea
- Accession to the European Union
At a European Union event honoring European and American veterans, I spoke alongside the Ukrainian ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova. I emphasized that President Biden must remove all remaining restrictions on Ukraine’s use of U.S.-manufactured weapons, enabling them to deploy combined-arms tactics inside enemy territory, just as NATO militaries would. In particular, Ukraine should be permitted to strike Russia’s oil refineries, which when combined with tighter oil sanctions would help choke off the petroleum that Putin relies upon for his war economy.
Welcoming King Philip Regional High School students to Capitol Hill: King Philip Regional High Schoolers visited Capitol Hill, where I was happy to speak with them on steps of the Capitol. We discussed a ‘day in the life’ of their congressman, TikTok & social media regulations, and my path to public service. If you are planning to visit Washington, you can arrange a tour of the Capitol with my office here.
Lung Cancer Awareness Month: the importance of screening: Lung cancer screenings save lives. The difference between early and late detection of a tumor is often a matter of life and death. That is why I introduced a bipartisan resolution to designate November 2024 as Lung Cancer Awareness Month. The initiative will draw attention to the importance of prevention, early detection, and research to curb lung cancer, which remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Washington must do more to advance awareness of screening and to support research and clinical care.
Pharmacists fight for the Pharmacists Fight Back Act in Washington: As we race towards 50 co-sponsors of my bipartisan Pharmacists Fight Back Act, I spoke with the American Pharmacy Cooperative, which advocates for independent pharmacies. At a time when too many Americans feel disconnected from the work of Washington, I held up community pharmacists as a bridge between complicated drug-pricing policy and the kitchen table. They are small-business owners, medical providers, and fixtures of downtown. By reining in the drug-pricing middlemen known as Pharmacy Benefit Managers, Congress can widen patient access and lower both copays and premiums.
Conversation on AI in the life sciences: The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation hosted a dinner to discuss AI applications in the life sciences. I opened with remarks emphasizing the importance of federal funding for curiosity-driven, peer-reviewed, basic research in the life sciences. The ‘AI’ dimension has significant private-sector support; but fundamental biomedical research is underfunded by industry because it’s so early and open-ended in potential utility. Yet – that’s where cures start.
Breaking through the Great Firewall in censored countries: In the long run, ideas are the most powerful force in the world. That is why I so strongly support Radio Free Asia, which produces and distributes independent journalism. Asians & Pacific Islanders without access to objective reporting can get the facts, and listen to tough questions, through Radio Free Asia. I visited their headquarters in Washington DC to speak with editors who are breaking news under the toughest circumstances – like in Tibet, Hong Kong, and even on the trail of Chinese migrants crossing the Darién Gap.
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