RFK, Jr. and the MAHA Movement Shake Things Up at HHS

Since assuming his role as the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) in February, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has initiated significant reforms at HHS under the “Make American Healthy Again” (MAHA) initiative. This includes reorganization, workforce reduction and policy shifts.

MAHA efforts aim to address the cause of chronic disease and improve public health in the United States. Although Kennedy’s changes have been praised by many for prioritizing preventative health, his approach has also sparked controversy in the public health community.

Reorganization and Workforce Reduction

A key aspect of Kennedy’s MAHA strategy is reorganizing HHS to improve efficiency and focus on disease prevention.

In late March, HHS announced it would reduce its workforce by 20,000 people, from 82,000 to 62,000.

In a press release, the agency explained that many of the positions were administrative or redundant and a result of bureaucratic bloat. HHS further holds that, by eliminating those positions, they could more effectively focus on its core mission.

The reduction began with 10,000 employees agreeing to voluntarily leave their positions. The other 10,000 jobs will be cut during the agency’s restructuring.

In April, Kennedy admitted some of the cuts were made in error. He estimated about 2,000 employees would be reinstated.

In the same press release, the department announced it would consolidate its 23 divisions into 15 new divisions and reduce regional offices from ten to five.

Kennedy explained the purpose behind the changes, “We aren’t just reducing bureaucratic sprawl. We are realigning the organization with its core mission and our new priorities in reversing the chronic disease epidemic. This Department will do more – a lot more – at a lower cost to the taxpayer.”

Critics are concerned that the downsizing will weaken HHS’ ability to respond and manage public health concerns. At the same time, supporters argue a smaller agency will be more nimble and focused on its core mission.

Creation of the Administration for a Healthy America

Another significant aspect of the MAHA initiative is establishing a new agency under HHS – the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA).

Under the new structure, AHA will “improve coordination of health resources for low-income Americans and focus on areas including Primary Care, Maternal and Child Health, Mental Health, Environmental Health, HIV/AIDS, and Workforce development.”

The goal is to orient public health systems toward preventing disease, rather than a reactive approach focused on addressing symptoms.

Opponents worry the restructuring will result in insufficient public health infrastructure. Supporters welcome the structuring changes and hope to see policies concentrating more on preventing chronic conditions.

Nutrition Policy Changes

Kennedy’s MAHA strategy also includes controversial changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

In coordination with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Kennedy urges states to apply for waivers that would allow them to restrict the purchase of certain items using SNAP benefits. The aim is to incentivize buying healthier options like milk, fruits, vegetables and meats by prohibit the use of food stamps for sugary drinks and processed foods

The initiative aligns with the MAHA goal of addressing dietary contributions to conditions including heart disease, diabetes and other life-altering conditions.

Critics argue policy changes like this negatively single out low-income families and revoke their freedom of choice in what they eat. Proponents believe earmarking benefits to encourage healthy eating will have long-term positive effects on the overall health of low-income families.

Autism Research Initiative

Another major initiative in the MAHA movement is an investigation into the causes of autism.

On April 10, in a major announcement at a cabinet meeting, Kennedy pledged that HHS would identify the causes of the autism epidemic by September 2025. He told President Trump that they have launched a “massive testing and research effort that’s going to involve hundreds of scientists around the world” and that they “will be able to eliminate those exposures.”

The effort has reignited a significant controversy in the public health world over Kennedy’s suspicion of autism being linked to vaccines and/or environmental factors.

The current HHS investigation is said to focus broadly on environmental factors that could be contributing to the rise of autism.

MAHA moms, who include an expected collection of “crunchy” moms, moms with children who have chronic conditions and conservative moms concerned about government control, all celebrated the investigation on X.

Public and Professional Reactions

Kennedy’s leadership at HHS has caused deep division within the public health community.

Over 17,000 medical professionals signed a petition opposing his appointment as Secretary of HHS, claiming he spread disinformation and conspiracy theories.

Alternatively, Kennedy has a loyal base of supporters who see his reform work as a necessary challenge to the healthcare industrial complex. They believe the system is heavily influenced by big pharma, big agriculture and big food industries and appreciate Kennedy is willing to stand up to those giants and demand policies promoting common-sense health directives.

MAHA Impact

The Trump Administration’s MAHA directive has already brought significant change to HHS as it moves to focus on department efficiency, preventative health, nutrition reform and environmental health.

Whether MAHA will ultimately improve the health of Americans is still unknown, but the departmental changes made at HHS will certainly impact Americans for generations to come.

Additional Articles and Resources

RFK Jr, IVF and the Push to Get to Root Cause of Health Problems

RFK Jr’s Secret Weapon: Christian Conservative Homeschool Moms

Photo from Getty Images.