Haley Stevens Moves to Impeach RFK Jr. Over Public Health Controversy

WASHINGTON—Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens ignited a fresh political battle on Capitol Hill today, filing articles of impeachment against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over what she calls “life-threatening neglect of public health.” The Democratic lawmaker, who is running for the open U.S. Senate seat in 2026, accuses Kennedy of slashing vaccine research funding, halting cancer-trial grants, and amplifying conspiracy theories about infectious diseases—moves she says have “cost American lives” and spiked measles cases in her home state. Key points • First-term HHS chief Kennedy faces a formal House impeachment resolution alleging “gross neglect of duty” and “reckless endangerment of public safety.” • Republicans hold a 220-213 majority, making passage highly unlikely, yet the measure forces every member to take a recorded vote on public-health policy. • Stevens’ move doubles as a headline-grabbing plank for her Senate bid, where she competes with State Sen. Mallory McMorrow and former Detroit Health Director Abdul El-Sayed. Why now? Stevens first threatened impeachment in September after HHS suspended a National Cancer Institute clinical-trial program. Pro-science groups soon gathered more than 200,000 signatures urging Congress to act. With Michigan reporting its highest measles rate since 1990, the Oakland County Democrat says urgency outweighed the slim odds of removal: “When families lose lifesaving trials and kids lose herd immunity, our duty is clear.” Kennedy’s response An HHS spokesman dismissed the filing as a “partisan stunt” and said the department is “laser-focused on lowering drug costs and expanding choice.” The secretary, confirmed in February after a razor-thin 51-49 Senate vote, has not publicly commented since the articles dropped but previously defended reallocating vaccine funds to “holistic health initiatives.” Impact on 2026 races Strategists note that impeachment theater often energizes primary voters. Stevens’ gambit could shore up progressive support while highlighting her science-policy credentials in a state still scarred by the Flint water crisis. Republicans, meanwhile, plan to portray the effort as “political grandstanding” that distracts from inflation and auto-industry layoffs. What happens next Under House rules, impeachment resolutions labeled “privileged” must receive action within two legislative days. GOP leaders can table, refer to committee, or allow debate. Even if shelved, Democrats can use discharge petitions or motion-to-reconsider tactics to resurrect the issue, keeping Kennedy’s record—and Stevens’ campaign message—on nightly news loops through winter. The bottom line Although the math in the House makes Kennedy’s removal improbable, Stevens has thrust vaccine policy and cancer research into the 2026 spotlight while amplifying her own Senate narrative. As measles outbreaks grow and Michigan voters weigh their next senator, today’s impeachment filing ensures that both Haley Stevens and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. remain at the center of the nation’s health-and-politics conversation.