{"id":47058,"date":"2025-09-05T16:37:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T20:37:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/?post_type=article&p=47058"},"modified":"2025-09-09T16:18:11","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T20:18:11","slug":"rfk-jr-claims-to-fight-big-money-interests-heres-how-hes-actually-helping-them","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/tl\/articles\/rfk-jr-claims-to-fight-big-money-interests-heres-how-hes-actually-helping-them\/","title":{"rendered":"RFK Jr. Claims to Fight Big Money Interests\u2014Here\u2019s How He\u2019s Actually Helping Them"},"template":"","class_list":["post-47058","article","type-article","status-publish","hentry","article_type-article"],"acf":{"details":{"summary":"Kennedy brands himself as an anti-corporate crusader, but his actions in the Trump Administration show otherwise. ","featured_image":46871,"article_type":11,"authors":"","related_issues":[2082,137,129],"related_work":false,"location":null},"sidebar":{"helper_enable_sidebar":false,"helper_media_contact":{"heading":"Media Contact","manually_enter_person":false,"person":"","name":"","role":"","phone":"","email":""},"helper_links_downloads":{"heading":"Links & Downloads","links":null}},"page_layout":[{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_wysiwyg":{"content":"Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has gotten plenty of attention this year with his \u201cMake America Healthy Again\u201d (MAHA) agenda.\r\n\r\nAnd understandably so \u2013 many people across the political spectrum are frustrated with corporate control of our food and health systems and want the government to put people before profit.\r\n\r\nKennedy tries to present himself as a champion against corporate power. But his record tells a different story.\r\n\r\nInstead of challenging powerful industries, Kennedy has advanced policies that benefit big corporations<\/b>, weakened oversight, and put public health at risk<\/b>. Here are five ways Kennedy\u2019s HHS is helping corporate interests, not the American people.\r\n

1. The \u201c10-to-1\u201d Deregulatory Policy Cuts Regulations on Corporations<\/h3>\r\nIn May, Kennedy committed HHS to adopt a \u201c10-to-1\u201d deregulatory policy<\/a>: for every one new rule, 10 existing rules would be eliminated.<\/b> He even invited corporations<\/b> to suggest which regulations they wanted to scrap.\r\n\r\nFood and drug regulations exist to protect people\u2019s health and safety. Letting corporations decide which rules are \u201cburdensome\u201d is a recipe for weaker protections<\/b> at stronger corporate influence.<\/b>\r\n

2. The FDA\u2019s New Fast-Track Voucher System Benefits Companies, Not Consumers<\/h3>\r\nUnder Kennedy and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, the agency created a new \u201cCommissioner\u2019s National Priority Voucher.\u201d<\/a> These vouchers let certain companies move their products more quickly through the FDA review process if they are said to \u201cenhance the health interests of Americans.\u201d\r\n\r\nThe problem is twofold. First, Kennedy\u2019s own track record shows questionable judgment<\/b> about what counts as \u201chealthy\u201d \u2013 he has rejected proven measures like vaccines. Second, with FDA staff cuts<\/a>, the agency is less equipped to independently evaluate products. That means that the FDA will increasingly have to take corporations at their word<\/b> that their products are safe and effective.\r\n

3. Closed-Door \u201cListening Tour\u201d Prioritizes CEOs Over the Public<\/h3>\r\nKennedy\u2019s FDA also launched a nationwide \u201clistening tour<\/a>,\u201d open only to pharmaceutical and biotech CEOs who already have products under review.\r\n\r\nInstead of hearing from patients, doctors, or everyday people, the FDA is choosing to prioritize giving private access to corporate executives<\/b>. This kind of closed-door approach undermines transparency and tilts the balance of power toward industry interests.\r\n

4. Deregulating the Food Industry In Favor Of Voluntary Safety Compliance<\/h3>\r\nA leaked MAHA report showed Kennedy\u2019s FDA plans to eliminate many food safety regulations and rely more heavily on voluntary industry action.<\/a> That means companies would be expected to police themselves on issues like safety standards and best practices.\r\n\r\nPublic health experts warn this is a dangerous path<\/b>. Aviva Musicus, Science Director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said the plan is<\/a> \u201cpoised to make America sicker,<\/b> hungrier<\/b>, at more at risk from unsafe food<\/b>.\u201d Rather than standing up to corporate power, Kennedy is giving companies more freedom to cut corners.\r\n

5. Financial Ties to Anti-Vaccine Lawsuits<\/h3>\r\nKennedy\u2019s personal financial interests also raise red flags<\/b>. Since 2022, he has earned around $2.5 million<\/b> in referral fees from Wisner Baum<\/a>, a law firm suing Merck, the maker of the HPV vaccine Gardasil.\r\n\r\nThe HPV vaccine is backed by the CDC, WHO, and other major health organizations<\/a> as safe and effective at preventing cancer. Kennedy\u2019s involvement with lawsuits against it shows a clear conflict of interest<\/b>. Instead of putting science and public health first, he has profited from and built his career on promoting vaccine skepticism.\r\n

The Bottom Line<\/h3>\r\nKennedy brands himself as an anti-corporate crusader, but his actions at HHS show otherwise. From fast-tracking corporate products to weakening food safety rules, he is opening the door wider for corporate power<\/b>. His personal financial ties and long history of pushing anti-science views make it even harder to trust that his decisions are in the public interest.\r\n\r\nAt the end of the day, Kennedy\u2019s agenda does hindi<\/b> put people before profit. It risks making our health system even more vulnerable to corporate capture."}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_featured_action","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_featured_action":{"action_to_show":"choose","image_side":"left","action":["{\"site_id\":\"1\",\"post_type\":\"act\",\"post_id\":46475}"],"title":"","summary":"","post_link":null,"secondary_link":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_add_component","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_add_component":null},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_work","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_work":{"heading":"Work","manually_curate":false,"work":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_related_articles","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_related_articles":{"heading":"Updates","button_text":"See all Related Articles","manually_curate":false,"articles":null}}]},"yoast_head":"\nRFK Jr. Claims to Fight Big Money Interests\u2014Here\u2019s How He\u2019s Actually Helping Them - Common Cause<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Kennedy presents himself as a champion against corporate power, but his HHS record tells a different story that may put public health at risk.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/tl\/mga-artikulo-2\/rfk-jr-claims-to-fight-big-money-interests-heres-how-hes-actually-helping-them\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"RFK Jr. Claims to Fight Big Money Interests\u2014Here\u2019s How He\u2019s Actually Helping Them\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Kennedy presents himself as a champion against corporate power, but his HHS record tells a different story that may put public health at risk.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/tl\/mga-artikulo-2\/rfk-jr-claims-to-fight-big-money-interests-heres-how-hes-actually-helping-them\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Common Cause\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CommonCause\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-09T20:18:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/CC_RFK_V1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"628\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@CommonCause\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/articles\/rfk-jr-claims-to-fight-big-money-interests-heres-how-hes-actually-helping-them\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/articles\/rfk-jr-claims-to-fight-big-money-interests-heres-how-hes-actually-helping-them\/\",\"name\":\"RFK Jr. Claims to Fight Big Money Interests\u2014Here\u2019s How He\u2019s Actually Helping Them - 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