FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., is launching a new caucus in the Senate on Thursday, named the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) caucus, to support the joint mission of President-elect Donald Trump and his choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Marshall, a medical doctor who has practiced for more than 25 years, will lead the caucus as it works to promote healthy food, address widespread chronic diseases, encourage safer agricultural practices and work on expanding healthcare access.
“The MAHA caucus is committed to improving health outcomes by prioritizing nutrition, providing access to affordable, nutrient-dense foods, and focusing on primary care availability to tackle the root causes of chronic diseases,” the Kansas Republican said in a statement. “With our ‘Food is Medicine’ approach, support from RFK Jr., and a shared goal to Make America Healthy Again, we aim to foster transparency, innovation, and a transformative agenda that builds a healthier, stronger nation.”
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Sen. Roger Marshall, right, launched the MAHA caucus in the Senate on Thursday. (Reuters)
Marshall is being joined in the new caucus by founding members Sens. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., and Rick Scott, R-Fla.
According to the senator’s office, the MAHA caucus’ purpose will be to work alongside Kennedy, assuming that he is confirmed in the new Congress, and use legislation to ensure that Trump and Kennedy’s plan can be swiftly executed.
The caucus will foster partnerships with stakeholders at the local, state and federal level in order to facilitate key MAHA initiatives, while also mobilizing support for its priorities and creating educational campaigns to spread nutritional awareness.
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr., left, endorsed former President Donald Trump after dropping out of the presidential race. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
After Kennedy suspended his independent presidential campaign earlier this year and subsequently endorsed Trump, the two announced that together they would work to “make America healthy again.” Following his election last month, Trump revealed his choice to nominate Kennedy to lead HHS and pursue that goal.
The caucus’ creation comes as Kennedy continues to make the rounds on Capitol Hill, meeting with senators to shore up his confirmation support. Marshall, Tuberville and Scott were among those who met with him this week.
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Sen. Roger Marshall is a doctor who has practiced for over 25 years. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
While many Republicans in the Senate have expressed support for Trump’s nominees across the board, including Kennedy, there are questions among some about his stance on vaccines, agriculture and abortion.
Despite this, he has managed to address the concerns of some of the GOP lawmakers he has already met with. For example, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said Kennedy promised to restore certain pro-life policies at HHS.
Tuberville told reporters prior to his meeting that he planned to discuss food production and agricultural policy with Kennedy. Following their discussion, he said Kennedy was aligned with Trump on protecting farmers and not over-regulating their livelihoods.
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Sens. Tommy Tuberville, pictured here, met with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. this week. (Anna Moneymaker)
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Kennedy is expected to conduct more meetings with senators on both sides of the aisle and will still need to address concerns, specifically those about his past comments on vaccine efficacy and how they will factor into his leadership at HHS.
The former independent presidential candidate has long been a prominent vaccine skeptic. But, the HHS nominee said he wouldn’t do anything to take vaccines away from people.
