Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is facing a growing wave of criticism after unveiling a controversial plan to establish a national “autism registry,” drawing outrage from lawmakers, advocates, and families affected by the disorder.
Kennedy, a longtime critic of vaccines and promoter of discredited theories linking them to autism, is under fire for inflammatory remarks made during an April 16 press conference, where he suggested that autism “destroys families.”
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“These are kids who will never pay taxes. They’ll never hold a job. They’ll never play baseball. They’ll never write a poem. They’ll never go out on a date. Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted,” said Kennedy, in comments widely condemned as dehumanizing and offensive.
His proposed registry would compile vast amounts of private health data, including medical records from pharmacies, genomic data from federal health services, and information from private insurers, smartwatches, and fitness trackers, as reported by Newsweek.
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health, announced that federal and commercial sources would supply the data. Up to 20 research groups will be granted access under the initiative. “What we’re proposing is a transformative real-world data initiative, which aims to provide a robust and secure computational data platform for chronic disease and autism research,” Bhattacharya explained.
But the move has sparked a furious backlash, with many accusing the administration of violating medical privacy laws and pushing a discriminatory agenda. Senator Elizabeth Warren issued a scathing statement on social media, calling for Kennedy’s immediate resignation. “I won’t share RFK Jr’s lies about autism. It’s disgusting and dangerous. If he had a shred of decency, he would apologize and resign,” she wrote.
“Autistic people contribute every day to our nation’s greatness. To every kid with autism, I’m in this fight all the way for you.” Online forums like Reddit have erupted with alarm over the proposed registry’s implications. “They are making zero attempts to not look like fascists at this point eh…” one user wrote, while another warned, “This CANNOT HAPPEN, this is dangerous.”
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Critics are also questioning the legality of the plan, pointing to potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and other federal protections.
As calls for his resignation grow louder, Kennedy has yet to respond publicly to the mounting criticism. Meanwhile, advocacy groups and legal experts are preparing to challenge the initiative in court, warning that it sets a dangerous precedent for the treatment and perception of individuals with autism in America.
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