Despite Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s promises to root out corporate power in public health, industry insiders say it’s business as usual.
Margaret Manto reports for NOTUS.
In short:
- Kennedy’s Health and Human Services has made splashy voluntary agreements on food dyes and prior authorizations, but insiders say these haven’t altered industry access or influence.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration policies under Kennedy’s leadership appear to benefit companies tied to his close advisers, raising concerns about conflicts of interest.
- New initiatives like “priority vouchers” and industry-only listening tours are framed as reforms but may deepen corporate sway over public health decisions.
Key quote:
“There’s all kinds of conflicts of interest that have been absolutely ignored by HHS and, as far as we can tell, still are.”
— Diana Zuckerman, president of the National Center for Health Research
Why this matters:
Kennedy’s failure to confront entrenched corporate influence could leave major health policy decisions shaped more by industry profits than public safety, meaning more untested diagnostics, weakened oversight, and continued mistrust in the systems meant to protect our health. For parents worried about toxic chemicals in their kids’ snacks, or for health professionals trying to guide patients through a polluted and processed world, this looks less like reform and more like déjà vu.
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