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100 days of MAHA: What has Robert F. Kennedy Jr. done so far to make America healthy again?
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promised parents and Big Pharma skeptics that he would work through the federal government to end the epidemic of chronic disease and illness plaguing the United States.As with any newly appointed member of the government, cutting through red tape, bureaucracy, and the shadow group known as the deep state are likely to be Kennedy’s biggest challenges.In fact, if anyone were likely to stand up to these threats, it would be Kennedy, a lifelong enemy to Big Pharma.In Kennedy’s first 100 days as the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the HHS appears to have moved rather quickly on bans related to food products and additives.First and foremost were phaseouts on all “petroleum-based synthetic dyes” that had long been criticized by the secretary.The department started by eliminating six synthetic dyes: FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow No. 5, FD&C Yellow No. 6, FD&C Blue No. 1, and FD&C Blue No. 2These are set to be removed from the food supply by the end of 2026, with a revocation of dyes Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B also down the pipeline in the coming months.Kennedy referred to the petroleum dyes as “poisonous compounds” that “offer no nutritional benefit and pose real, measurable dangers” to the health and development of children.Kennedy added, “We’re restoring gold-standard science, applying common sense, and beginning to earn back the public’s trust. And we’re doing it by working with industry to get these toxic dyes out of the foods our families eat every day.”Fluoride, which is predominantly added to water in the U.S., Australia, Canada, Chile, and Ireland, has faced criticism for years. Studies from Harvard in 2012 and the HHS in 2024 have claimed the use of fluoride lowers the IQ of children.“It makes no sense to have it in our water supply,” Kennedy told an audience in Utah.Utah recently became the first state to officially ban fluoride, with RFK Jr. saying he was reassembling a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention task force to further study the effects of fluoride and make an official government recommendation. Obviously, he hopes more states will follow suit.'They changed our food system in this country so that it is poison to us.'Kennedy further praised Utah for being one of the first states to apply for a ban on soda from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.Arkansas and Indiana joined Utah in requesting a waiver from the USDA to remove soda and candy from being purchasable through food stamps.According to the Associated Press, Arkansas’ plan would exclude soda and fruit and vegetable drinks with less than 50% natural juice. Artificially sweet candy and confections made with flour would also be banned. The plan would allow rotisserie chicken to be purchased, which is currently excluded.Indiana’s plan would simply exclude candy and soda from SNAP.“They changed our food system in this country so that it is poison to us,” Kennedy remarked.Infant formula has also seen enhanced focus from the HHS under Kennedy. A 2022 scare shocked parents across the country with a severe shortage blamed on supply chain issues related to COVID-19.While noting that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and HHS want to ensure a “strong” and resilient supply, much of what the federal government announced was related to testing the baby formula for a nutritional review.This included increased testing for heavy metals and other contaminants, increased transparency in labeling, and prioritizing research related to long-term health outcomes associated with formula feeding in infancy."The FDA remains committed to infant formula safety and nutritional quality and is taking all actions to ensure the U.S. infant formula supply ranks best in the world," a press release stated.Furthermore, a proposed policy change that may have flown under the radar in March was Kennedy’s direction to the FDA to eliminate the ability for companies to “self-affirm ingredients are safe.”Describing it as a “loophole,” Secretary Kennedy said that companies are able to introduce new ingredients and chemicals into the U.S. food supply without notifying the FDA.While manufacturers are currently “strongly” encouraged by the FDA to inform the agency of any new substances Generally Recognized as Safe that they are using, those manufacturers can self-affirm a substance is generally safe without notifying the FDA.“Eliminating this loophole will provide transparency to consumers,” Kennedy said.Cost cuttingUpon taking office, RFK Jr. immediately pointed to $1.7 trillion spent annually in the United States on health care, an increase of 17% in just five years.Therefore, Kennedy immediately began “slashing unhealthy fat” at HHS, which amounted to almost 10,000 employees leaving the department.While the media framed this as layoffs and “job cuts,” Kennedy said the removals were voluntary resignations.“We offered our employees, especially those who were not aligned with our mission, the chance to resign gracefully. Nearly 10,000 HHS employees voluntarily chose to depart through our Deferred Resignation Program, Voluntary Early Retirement Authority, and Voluntary Separation Incentive programs.”RFK Jr. also announced the closing of five of the agency’s “highest-cost regional offices” in Boston, Chicago, New York City, San Francisco, and Seattle.'It’s clear that HHS had become a cesspool of deep state bureaucrats ...'While these decisions are certainly quick money savers, the HHS claimed it saved another $67 billion through work with the Department of Government Efficiency. This was accomplished through actions like canceling $14.1 billion in COVID-related grants.Government contracts were terminated or changed to save another $17 billion, while requiring individuals to produce their proof of income to qualify for federal subsidies saved another $10.5 billion.“Evidenced by the number of HHS workers who voluntarily resigned once Kennedy took over with the MAHA agenda, it’s clear that HHS had become a cesspool of deep state bureaucrats uninterested in the true objective of the department: keeping Americans healthy,” said BlazeTV’s Sara Gonzales. She added, “I am grateful for Secretary Kennedy’s swift action to address harmful food dyes and fluoride in the water, both of which predominantly harm our children at greater rates than anyone else.”Gonzales pointed to other work by the HHS, such as attempts to find the root causes of autism.Kennedy said he was assembling teams of scientists to focus research on the origins of an autism epidemic that now affects 1 in 31 children. “We expect to begin to have answers by September,” RFK Jr. explained.In its report, the HHS attempted to quell the claim that the increased number is attributed to the expansion of diagnoses and detection. The department said the expansion of diagnoses could not be attributed solely to the expansion of testing and that nearly two-thirds of children with autism also had severe or borderline intellectual disabilities.Along with a new report on gender dysphoria, there is a lot for health-conscious Americans and conservatives to sink their teeth into.Kennedy recently announced that vaccines would require further testing before approval, including undergoing safety testing in placebo-controlled trials prior to licensure. An HHS spokesperson called this a “radical departure” from past practices.“From finding the root causes of autism and eliminating the poisons in our food, to finally testing childhood vaccines with true placebos, there is much more work to be done,” Gonzales said.With near mind-bending levels of government efficiency, Kennedy seems to have a lot on the horizon that citizens on both sides of the political aisle could describe as making America healthy again. If true, government working on behalf of the health of the citizenry is indeed a radical departure from the past.
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