Resulting HHS Upheaval and Uncertainty Will Gravely Impact AAPI Communities
For Immediate Release: February 13, 2025
Contact: Lasamee Kettavong, media@napawf.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Senate has confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Sung Yeon Choimorrow, Executive Director for the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF), issued the following statement:
“NAPAWF strongly condemns the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. His well-documented history of promoting misinformation and conspiracy theories directly contradicts the fundamental responsibility of this role—ensuring science-based healthcare policies that protect public health.
“HHS is a cornerstone of biomedical research, data integrity, and critical programs like Medicare and Medicaid—lifelines for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. Undermining science and spreading falsehoods, especially to already underserved communities, is the exact opposite of what a responsible HHS leader should do.
“Approximately 4.5 million AANHPIs were enrolled in Medicaid as of 2020, 80% of whom live in the 39 states that elected to expand Medicaid. AAPIs make up approximately 2.25 million of Medicare enrollees and Asian Americans specifically represent the 4th largest demographic enrolled in Medicare according to recent data.
“Secretary Kennedy has repeatedly spread dangerous medical misinformation, advanced conspiracy theories, and reinforced harmful narratives that perpetuate racial disparities in healthcare, particularly for Black and Brown communities.
“During his Senate confirmation hearings, Kennedy continued to peddle misinformation, including falsehoods about the deadly 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa—an outbreak worsened in part by his anti-vaccine advocacy. He has also promoted baseless claims about environmental chemicals affecting children’s gender identity, a notion entirely unsupported by scientific research.
“Despite leadership that fails to uphold our values, NAPAWF remains unwavering in our commitment to defending and advocating for the rights of AAPI women and gender-expansive individuals to make their own healthcare decisions.”
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The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) is the only multi-issue, progressive, community organizing and policy advocacy organization for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women and girls in the U.S. NAPAWF’s mission is to build collective power so that all AAPI women and girls can have full agency over our lives, our families, and our communities.