Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. forcefully condemned Canada’s liberal assisted suicide laws during a Capitol Hill hearing Wednesday.
The comments came as he testified before the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate HELP Committee.
At one point, Kennedy was asked about assisted suicide policies.
“I think those laws are abhorrent,” Kennedy said.
He pointed to Canada as an example of where such policies can lead.
🇺🇸🇨🇦 RFK Jr: Assisted suicide has become the leading cause of death in Canada…wait…what?!
Slamming it, he says it targets vulnerable people, including those with disabilities.pic.twitter.com/uRGUg0k3T9 https://t.co/hAw3m6pf9D
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) April 22, 2026
“And we just see in Canada today, I think the number one cause of death is assisted suicide,” he added.
Kennedy said the issue extends beyond individual choice.
“And as you say, it targets people with disabilities and people who are struggling in their lives,” he said.
He warned about their impact on any society that wants to call itself moral.
“I don’t think we can be a moral society; we can’t be a moral authority around the globe if that becomes institutionalized throughout our society,” Kennedy said.
He also expressed his willingness to work with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to address the issue.
“I am happy to work with you in whatever way we can,” he said.
Canada’s medical assistance in dying program, known as MAID, has been controversial from the start.
The Canadian government describes suicide as a nuanced issue and one of personal choice, and the criteria to qualify are lax.
At age 18, Canadians can choose suicide if they “make a voluntary request that is not the result of external pressure” and understand what they are requesting, so long as they are “in an advanced state of irreversible decline in capability.”
The MAID program also assists people in taking their own lives if they experience “enduring and intolerable physical or psychological suffering that cannot be alleviated under conditions the person considers acceptable.”
Canada is projected to approach 100,000 assisted deaths before the program’s 10th anniversary this summer, The New York Post reported.
As of 2024, total assisted suicide deaths reached 76,475, far exceeding the 42,042 Canadians who were killed in World War II.
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