Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. became the target of formal impeachment efforts Wednesday as Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., introduced articles accusing him of endangering public health and obstructing critical medical research programs. The move, announced on social media, makes Stevens the second Michigan Democrat in two days to seek the removal of a member of President Donald Trump's Cabinet. It comes as both she and Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., enter competitive primary contests ahead of the 2026 elections.
"Today, I formally introduced articles of impeachment against Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. RFK Jr. has turned his back on science and the safety of the American people. Michiganders cannot take another day of his chaos," Stevens wrote in her announcement. Her office said she had promised the action in September, following months of pressure from pro-science groups and constituents concerned about stalled clinical research funding.
Stevens reiterated her concerns in an interview with NBC News, saying, "It's a public health and safety issue," and citing halted cancer research trials in Michigan. She added, "When I've called on him to step down and he doesn't, this is a safety issue." Emphasizing her approach to governance, she said, "I'm a very serious lawmaker. I get a lot done here. But I'm not going to sit quietly by while people's health and safety and lives are on the line." A video posted Wednesday included her declaration: "RFK, Jr., has got to go."
The Department of Health and Human Services dismissed the impeachment drive. In a statement to NBC News, HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said, "Secretary Kennedy remains focused on improving Americans' health and lowering costs, not on partisan theatrics designed to elevate standing in a failing, third-rate Senate bid." Another HHS statement earlier described the effort as "partisan political stunts."
Pressure on Kennedy has escalated since Stand Up For Science, a political group advocating for the scientific community, began circulating a petition claiming he misled Congress during his confirmation hearing. The petition asserts, "Secretary Kennedy's words and actions are killing Americans," alleging he damaged vaccine development and regulatory programs. Stevens echoed those concerns, noting Michigan's rising measles rates and stating that Kennedy is "purporting conspiracy theories and prohibiting medical research availability."
The Michigan delegation's impeachment efforts extend beyond Kennedy. Thanedar this week introduced articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over reports he ordered U.S. military personnel to "kill everybody" on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Caribbean. "Pete Hegseth has been using the United States military to extrajudicially assassinate people without evidence of any crime," Thanedar said. "Former military attorneys have come out and asserted that his conduct constitutes war crimes." He added, "We cannot allow his reprehensible conduct to continue, which is why I have filed these articles to impeach him." The White House and Hegseth have repeatedly denied any illegal order was issued.
The broader Democratic anger at Trump and his Cabinet has not shifted party leadership's stance. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said last week that impeachment proposals are effectively dead on arrival in the GOP-controlled House. "Republicans will never allow articles of impeachment to be brought to the floor of the House of Representatives. And we know that's the case because Donald Trump will order them not to do it," he told reporters. "So what's on the table is a meaningful investigation, which we can hope would be bipartisan."
