OCTOBER 7, 2025

We took an oath to declare dangers when we found them. We’re doing that again today.

As former U.S. surgeons general appointed by every Republican and Democratic president since George H.W. Bush, we have collectively spent decades in service as the Nation’s Doctor. We took two sacred oaths in our lifetimes: first, as physicians who swore to care for our patients and, second, as public servants who committed to protecting the health of all Americans.

Today, in keeping with those oaths, we are compelled to speak with one voice to say that the actions of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are endangering the health of the nation. Never before have we issued a joint public warning like this. But the profound, immediate and unprecedented threat that Kennedy’s policies and positions pose to the nation’s health cannot be ignored.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2025

Washington, D.C. — In reaction to today’s White House announcement, the American Psychiatric Association issued the following statement:

“It is essential that the administration prioritizes evidence-based support for individuals on the autism spectrum and invests in long-term comprehensive research about the disorder.

Vaccines do not cause autism. Claims of any such association have been repeatedly discredited in peer reviewed studies.

SEPTEMBER 10, 2025

Statement attributable to:
Jason M. Goldman, MD, MACP
President, American College of Physicians

WASHINGTON—The American College of Physicians (ACP), representing 162,000 internal medicine physicians, calls on President Trump and Congress to replace Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to protect public health. Secretary Kennedy’s actions have undermined and destabilized our public health infrastructure, shown a blatant disregard for decades of evidence-based, proven science, and have spread dangerous medical misinformation, sowing chaos and confusion and putting lives at risk. We have lost confidence in his leadership and call for him to be removed and replaced with a qualified health expert with appropriate and relevant knowledge and experience.

SEPTEMBER 03, 2025

On behalf of the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American College of Physicians, American Osteopathic Association, American Psychiatric Association, and the Society of General Internal Medicine

Washington, D.C. — Our organizations believe that the turmoil that occurred at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last week will have harmful consequences for the health of the American public. The firing of Director Monarez and the resignation of multiple senior officials are alarming, threatening our nation’s public health infrastructure. Leadership and oversight from Congress are needed now to ensure that our nation’s public health is protected.

JULY 21, 2025

The following is a statement from Steven J. Fleischman, MD, MBA, FACOG, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG):

Today’s FDA panel on SSRIs and pregnancy was alarmingly unbalanced and did not adequately acknowledge the harms of untreated perinatal mood disorders in pregnancy. On a panel of 10 experts, only one spoke to the importance of SSRIs in pregnancy as a critical tool, among others, in preventing the potentially devastating effects of anxiety and depression when left untreated during pregnancy.

Robust evidence has shown that SSRIs are safe in pregnancy and that most do not increase the risk of birth defects. However, untreated depression in pregnancy can put our patients at risk for substance use, preterm birth, preeclampsia, limited engagement in medical care and self-care, low birth weight, impaired attachment with their infant, and even suicide. Data also show that discontinuing SSRIs due to pregnancy or lactation can carry risks. Patients need access to evidence-based, compassionate treatment options so that they can continue their paths to parenthood in sound physical and mental health. 

AUGUST 27, 2025

Statement from APHA Executive Director Dr. Georges C. Benjamin, MD

The abrupt attempt to oust Dr. Susan Monarez, the CDC’s director just weeks after her Senate confirmation, is yet another glaring sign of Secretary Kennedy’s failed leadership and reckless mismanagement. His tenure has been marked by chaos, disorganization, and a blatant disregard for science and evidence-based public health. Pushing Dr. Monarez out underscores his administrative incompetence and his disdain for the expertise that the public and our public health agencies rely on. 

RFK Jr. must be removed from his position. Since taking office, his actions have sown confusion, demoralized staff and jeopardized the very foundation of our nation’s health security. Most critically, these missteps threaten lives—creating risks that could have been prevented if competent leadership were in place.