Health Panel Stalled: Senators Call on RFK Jr. to Act

Nineteen senators wrote a letter to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. , asking him to stop blocking the U. S. Preventive Services Task Force from doing its job. The Task Force meets three times a year and decides which preventive services, like mammograms or diabetes checks, must be covered by insurance. Because of its influence, many people rely on the panel’s guidance to get needed care. The group says that since March 2025 the Task Force has not met. Kennedy canceled meetings in late summer and fall, pushed back a scheduled session this month, and has not filled several positions that expired in December. As a result, the panel’s work is on hold and its recommendations are frozen.Senators from across the Democratic party, including top leaders like Chuck Schumer and Dick Durbin, signed the letter. They expressed worry that the Task Force’s inactivity could delay new or updated preventive measures, potentially harming public health. The letter asks Kennedy why the latest meeting was postponed and how he plans to keep future advice based on solid science. A Health and Human Services spokesperson did not reply quickly. Kennedy has replaced members of a vaccine advisory panel, but he has left the preventive panel empty. Without meetings last year, the Task Force failed to update its guidance or release a required report that helps shape federal research priorities. The senators urge the Secretary to restore the Task Force’s normal schedule, fill vacant seats, and ensure that its recommendations remain evidence‑based so Americans continue to receive essential preventive care.