The impeachment articles charge Kennedy with high crimes and misdemeanors, specifically citing "abuse of authority and undermining public health". Stevens alleges that Kennedy has endangered families, gutted critical medical research, restricted vaccine access, and spread dangerous conspiracy theories since taking office earlier this year.

The Charges: What Kennedy Stands Accused Of

The formal impeachment articles detail several specific allegations against the HHS Secretary. Stevens accuses Kennedy of terminating $8.9 billion in federal research grants, including funding for cancer research, childhood cancer studies, sudden infant death syndrome research, and addiction studies. The congresswoman claims these cuts have halted lifesaving clinical trials mid-course, leaving patients in limbo.

On vaccines, the articles allege Kennedy has "severely restricted access" by firing the CDC's vaccine advisory panel, withdrawing federal recommendations for COVID shots for pregnant women and healthy children, and promoting what Stevens calls "wild and unfounded claims" about vaccine safety. The articles specifically cite his recent success in changing hepatitis B vaccination recommendations for newborns and his attempts to link Tylenol use with autism.

Stevens further charges that Kennedy has undermined the FDA and CDC through mass firings of scientists, calling the FDA a "sock puppet" agency, and creating staffing shortages that have slowed critical regulatory work. The articles also accuse him of ending public comment periods for federal rulemaking and "hampering the government's response to avian flu outbreak".

Why This Matters: The Stakes for Public Health

This impeachment effort represents more than partisan politics—it highlights a fundamental question about how far a Cabinet secretary can go in reshaping government institutions based on personal ideology rather than scientific consensus. Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic who once led anti-vaccine advocacy organizations, now controls agencies responsible for protecting 330 million Americans from disease outbreaks, food contamination, and medication safety.

The implications extend beyond policy disagreements. Constitutional scholars note that Cabinet members can be impeached for "high crimes and misdemeanors," a phrase the Founders intended to cover serious abuses of power that threaten public welfare—not just criminal acts. Historical precedent is limited; only one Cabinet secretary has ever been impeached (Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876), though DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was impeached by House Republicans in 2024.

Healthcare costs and research funding form the economic dimension of Stevens' case. She argues Kennedy's actions have driven up healthcare expenses while simultaneously destroying the research infrastructure that produces medical breakthroughs. Michigan, her home state, currently experiences one of the highest measles rates in the nation—a trend Stevens directly attributes to Kennedy's vaccine policies.

The erosion of scientific institutions represents perhaps the most lasting concern. By dismissing advisory panels, defunding long-term research projects, and questioning decades of scientific consensus, critics argue Kennedy is dismantling systems that took generations to build. Stand Up for Science, a group that backed Stevens' impeachment push, warns that "RFK Jr.'s actions are negligent and will result in harm and loss of life".

The Political Reality: Why It Won't Succeed

Despite the serious allegations, Stevens' impeachment articles face insurmountable political obstacles. Republicans control the House of Representatives, and there's no indication party leadership would advance impeachment proceedings against a Trump administration official. HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon dismissed the effort as "partisan political stunts" designed to boost Stevens' Senate campaign.

Indeed, Stevens is running for Michigan's open Senate seat in 2026, raising questions about whether the impeachment push serves electoral purposes as much as accountability ones. She first announced her intention to impeach Kennedy back in September, but only filed the articles this week—timing that coincides with her Senate campaign.

The move mirrors recent Democratic impeachment efforts against other Trump officials. Fellow Michigan Representative Shri Thanedar filed impeachment articles against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth this week, while various Democrats have pursued impeachment against other Cabinet members. None have advanced in the Republican House.

Stevens' impeachment push forces a necessary debate: Should Cabinet officials face removal when their actions contradict the scientific consensus their agencies are built upon? Kennedy's supporters argue he's fulfilling President Trump's "Make America Healthy Again" mandate by questioning regulatory capture and corporate influence in health agencies. His critics counter that undermining vaccine confidence and cutting research funding will kill people.

This tension between democratic accountability (Kennedy was confirmed by the Senate) and expert governance (should scientific agencies operate independently from political ideology?) defines the core constitutional question. The Founders designed impeachment as a remedy for officials who abuse their office in ways that threaten the public good. Whether Kennedy's actions meet that threshold—or whether they represent legitimate policy changes within his authority—is the question Congress should debate, even if the votes for removal don't exist.

For now, Kennedy remains in office, continuing to reshape America's health agencies according to his vision. Whether history judges his tenure as necessary reform or reckless endangerment may depend on measles rates, cancer survival statistics, and the trust Americans place in their public health institutions in the years ahead.