Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a polio survivor, has lashed out at Robert F. Kennedy Jr. following a report that his close ally attempted to revoke government approval of the polio vaccine.
Kennedy, long known for his own anti-vaccine advocacy, was announced as President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for the next Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary last month. Despite his history, Kennedy insists that he does not want to take vaccines away from Americans.
The New York Times reported on Friday that lawyer Aaron Siri, who is assisting Kennedy in vetting potential HHS officials, filed a petition in 2022 on behalf of the Informed Consent Action Network to pull approval of the polio vaccine, which would effectively outlaw the intervention.
Before vaccination against the disease, polio killed and paralyzed millions. McConnell, who was partially paralyzed at 2 years old when he contracted polio before the vaccines were available, responded to the report on Siri by firing off a warning shot to Kennedy.
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“I have never flinched from confronting specious disinformation that threatens the advance of lifesaving medical progress, and I will not today,” McConnell said. “The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives and held out the promise of eradicating a terrible disease.”
“Efforts to undermine public confidence in proven cures are not just uninformed—they’re dangerous,” he added. “Anyone seeking the Senate’s consent to serve in the incoming Administration would do well to steer clear of even the appearance of association with such efforts.”
While McConnell is stepping down from Republican leadership when the party takes control of the Senate next month—Senator John Thune will take his place as majority leader—he will remain in office and likely continue to be an influential voice that could potentially endanger Kennedy’s confirmation.
Newsweek reached out for comment to the Trump transition team via email on Friday night.
Siri responded to the Times article by calling it a “hit piece” in a long statement shared on X, formerly Twitter. The lawyer argued that the article was unfair, in part, because he was only pushing to revoke the license of a specific polio vaccine approved in 1990, to which he referred as “new.”
The report also claimed that Siri was attempting to “pause distribution,” due to supposed safety concerns, of at least 13 other vaccines used to prevent a variety of serious illnesses including tetanus, diphtheria and hepatitis A.
Kennedy spokesperson Katie Miller told the outlet that Siri was advising Kennedy but had not discussed his efforts to withdraw vaccines from the market. Miller also said that Kennedy wants “transparency in vaccines and to give people choice.”
Trump specifically said during an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press over the weekend that anyone hoping to convince him to “get rid of the polio vaccine” would “have to work real hard,” calling the vaccine “the greatest thing.”
Most vaccines are approved by the Food and Drug Administration only after rigorous testing and all of those approved continue to be monitored once they hit the market. Polio vaccines have been extensively studied and monitored for close to 70 years.
While all vaccines and medicines can produce rare adverse reactions, there is no evidence that any approved vaccine poses a significant risk to the public. Instead, vaccines are estimated to prevent up to 3 million deaths worldwide per year.