Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens introduced articles of impeachment against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday.

“Enough is enough. We cannot allow a public official to weaponize misinformation while cutting the very research that saves lives. It’s time today to impeach RFK Jr.,” says Stevens. 

She initially stated her intention to file articles of impeachment against the Make America Healthy Again Secretary in September.

Like many other Democrats, Stevens says Kennedy’s attempts to delegitimize vaccinations and promotion of pseudo-science makes him unqualified for the job.

Kennedy Jr. has taken heat from epidemiologists for turning anti-vaccination misinformation into policy, disregarding decades of research that points to the effectiveness of vaccines. Public health officials also condemn his promotion of conspiracy theories around autism.

Rep. Stevens says he has violated his oath, citing how how cuts implemented and supported by Kennedy Jr. have made insurance less accessible and hurt research institutions, like those at Michigan universities. “I’ve heard from Republican doctors in Michigan who’ve been calling me to thank me for standing up for science,” says Stevens.

Kennedy Jr. oversaw the firing of thousands of public health experts from the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health.

Stevens’ impeachment attempt likely won’t go far in the Republican-controlled U.S. House. It’s unclear whether the move is backed by Democratic leadership.

When asked if House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries backed the impeachment bid, Stevens said she’d let Jeffries speak for himself.

The National Poll on Healthy Aging found many older adults have disabilities. However, they do not identify with being disabled, nor do they request accommodations, in part due to stigma. 

The poll found 19% of adults 50 years old and older have a disability but, they are less likely to ask for accommodations. 

Dr. Michelle Mead is a professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Family Medicine at the University of Michigan.  

She says many older adults look at disabilities as a natural part of aging rather than a disability, and don’t want to be stigmatized. 

“Even though the groups who are 65 and older are more likely to actually have a disability, they were less likely to identify as having one,” she says. 

The survey is part of the National Opinion Research Center, conducted at the University of Chicago for the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation at the University of Michigan. 

Mead says despite older adults not seeking accommodations, half of older adults may legally qualify for accommodations, especially for those who are 65 and up.

 “This is what the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, Section 504, and this other legislation was about doing. It’s about including, providing opportunities, ensuring that a functional limitation, a diagnosis or impairment doesn’t stop people. But the stigma is that it still does,” she explains. 

Mead says older adults face stigma and barriers to living healthy lives.

“The stigma is one built into our society. We have ageism that says it’s bad to get older. That does not value the various skills and strengths that you learn and the different ways of doing things that are required through experience,” she explains.

Clinician support

The survey hopes to educate clinicians on how to serve older adults better.

“Many of the individuals with disabilities, I know, are fantastic problem solvers. They have to be. But unfortunately, the world still isn’t set up to work with, to consider, to involve people with disabilities. So, until that happens, we need to develop workarounds,” she shares.

The University of Michigan Center for Disability Health and Wellness, where Mead is the founding director, created several tip sheets for clinicians to gather relevant information to serve older adults with disabilities.

“I think what I’m hoping to do with this research is to increase awareness about the importance of asking the right questions, developing processes to allow the best care to occur, and making sure that we connect the dots to both reduce healthcare costs and improve lives,” she says. 

The poll surveyed over 3,800 adults 50 and up by phone and online.