We’ve been putting off talking about Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at HHS. With a measles outbreak growing and Casey Means’s nomination as surgeon general, we couldn’t wait any longer.
Sarah walks us through the staggering personnel losses in the Department of Health and Human Services, and we try to make sense of what’s driving this. Is RFK a true believer? A grifter? Both? What does it mean that the least popular part of MAHA is the part they’ve gone all in on?
I keep coming back to trust. We made a mistake as a public after COVID in attributing malice to what was really inexperience with a new kind of threat, which prevented the reflection and improvement that were already starting to happen. Now the challenge next time will be so much greater.
We end with the story of Grandparents for Vaccines, a new organization of people who remember what life was like before these diseases were conquered. It’s the kind of thing that reminds me we’re not powerless, even when the government is being reckless with things that matter this much.
Outside of politics, Sarah gives her Oscars rundown while I sit here having watched almost nothing, which is our annual tradition at this point.
-Beth
Topics Discussed
RFK Jr Remakes HHS
Outside of Politics: The Oscars
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Episode Resources
MAHAspital (SNL)
‘Science is still emerging’: Dr. Casey Means defends psilocybin therapy to Susan Collins in Senate (The Economic Times | YouTube)
Lessons from the Covid War with Dr. Charity Dean (Pantsuit Politics)
Meet the Horrified Grandparents Fighting for Vaccines (The Bulwark)
Episode Transcript
Coming soon…
Show Credits
Pantsuit Politics is hosted by Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers. The show is produced by Studio D Podcast Production. Alise Napp is our Managing Director and Maggie Penton is our Director of Community Engagement.
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