Marquisha Johns
@marquishajohns.bsky.social
passionate health advocate seeking a more equitable and just world | amateur foodie | opinions are mine
Incredibly tough time for public health right now, but this new article from my old colleague and I highlights a few critical priorities states can take to continue progress on health and wellbeing.
Jill Rosenthal@jillrose.bsky.social · last yr.As the Trump administration slashes programs and resources, states are on the hook to reinforce public health protections, mitigate harms, and safeguard the public’s health. See CAP's new article: www.americanprogress.org/article/4-wa...
Just in case: @statnews.com has backed up and is monitoring #CDC 's data. www.statnews.com/2025/02/14/t...
STAT is backing up and monitoring CDC data in real time: See what's changing
STAT is backing up and monitoring CDC data in real time: See what's changing.
statnews.com
Today, along with 2,000 other NIH employees, I had to clear out my office 😭 It was truly the honor of my life to work with such incredibly passionate people focused on improving human health. I’ve never experienced a more positive culture where *everyone* cared about their job and serving others.
Absolutely recommend checking out @emmbadger.bsky.social’s new NYT article for those wanting to dig in more on NIH cuts. The combination of my article and hers really highlights the different attacks here—infectious dz, overhead cuts—and what they mean for states! www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
How Trump’s Medical Research Cuts Would Hit Colleges and Hospitals in Every State
Changes to a key funding formula will reduce research grants at hospitals and universities by billions — and may discourage future research.
nytimes.com
Andrea Ducas@andreaducas.bsky.social · last yr.Fantastic piece on what overhead reductions would mean. As luck would have it, @marquishajohns.bsky.social had a twin pub yesterday digging into just how much states benefit from NIH research awards and how much goes toward infectious disease funding. 🔽 www.americanprogress.org/article/how-...
Louisiana with yet another bad vaccine policy. It’s almost like they waited to make sure RFK Jr., a vaccine conspiracist, was empowered before make this move. Proud to see my hometown, New Orleans, and its health department taking a stand!
Adriel Bettelheim@abettel.bsky.social · last yr.Louisiana's Department of Health says it will no longer promote mass vaccination. www.cnn.com/2025/02/13/h...
We should anticipate even more drastic changes to NIH following RFK Jr.’s confirmation as HHS Secretary—changes that undermine scientific integrity, innovation, and public trust. www.americanprogress.org/article/how-...
How Cuts to NIH Research Funding Would Hurt States
Proposed changes to the National Institutes of Health’s $48 billion budget would risk jobs, threaten state economies, and hamper progress toward prevention and treatment of diseases such as cancer.
americanprogress.org
RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine record speaks for itself, even if he tries to deny it. Last week, Sen. @chrismurphyct.bsky.social called out exactly this. RFK Jr. puts your health at risk. Take action now before it’s too late: www.americanprogress.org/take-action/...
On top of this weirdness, buried here is a provision prohibiting communities from implementing vaccine or mask policies that keep people safe and healthy. That's going to be perfect if we have another public health emergency as if that's totally out of the realm of possibility!
Jen Bendery@jbendery.bsky.social · 2y agoICYMI: The Transportation Dept has directed its programs to prioritize giving federal $$$ to places with higher-than-average marriage and birth rates. All DOT and DOT-backed grants, loans + contracts, including existing agreements. Totally normal stuff! www.huffpost.com/entry/dot-me...
A powerful commentary on the role of the medical, science, and public health community in these dark times. Incredibly, proud to call the author a collaborator in the hard work ahead. Great work, Steve!
Steven Woolf@shwoolf.bsky.social · 2y agoJust published this morning in JAMA, on how medicine and public health should respond to the new administration. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Unsurprising as they said they would do this in Project 2025. Breathing clean air and drinking clean water should be the most basic things we can agree on and this administration won't even commit to that. Corporate greed is more important that public health.
Project 2025 Would Make It Easier for Big Corporations To Dump Dangerous Toxins That Poison Americans
Far-right extremists’ plans to dismantle environmental regulations would reverse progress in protecting Americans from lead, PFAS, soot, and other hazards.
americanprogress.org
Cathleen Kelly@cmkelly.bsky.social · 2y agoIts only week two and President Trump is breaking his promise to deliver the cleanest water. By withdrawing EPA's plans to set new limits on dangerous forever chemicals, Trump proves that he is more interested in enriching corporate polluters than protecting Americans' health & access to safe water.
Nice closing from Cassidy but he left too open a door for RFK Jr. to feign a shift on the viewpoints we already know he's committed to.
RFK Jr.:"I'll comply with the laws." *Prospective boss that he pledges to serve at the pleasure of proceeds to NOT comply with the laws*
This is unfair to the families affected and a very unserious response to a tragic event.
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 2y agoCOLLINS: We don't even yet know the names of the people killed and you're blaming Dems and DEI policies. Don't you think you're getting ahead of the investigation? TRUMP: No, I don't think so C: Does it comfort their families to hearing you blaming DEI? R: That's not a very smart question
RFK Jr is asked: 'how will you decide which scientists are good, and which scientists are bad?" Says: the ones that are corrupt. Interesting. I wonder whether profiting off conspiracy theories (say, by making money from litigation against a vaccine you want to limit access to) constitutes corrupt?
Not only does he not understand Medicare (see my previous post). He doesn't understand Medicaid. This program covers almost 80 million people, including children.
Protect Our Care@protectourcare.org · 2y agoRFK Jr. completely fumbled basic Medicaid facts in his confirmation hearing. He claimed: ❌ Medicaid has premiums (it doesn’t). ❌ It’s fully federally funded (it’s not). ❌ 30M babies are born on Medicaid (8x the total U.S. births!). This man is not fit for HHS. #StopRFK
This program covers 66 million people and the person we're interviewing to lead it doesn't even know the basic components of the program. We're gambling with real people's lives.
Jill Rosenthal@jillrose.bsky.social · 2y agoThere are only four parts of Medicare. How can a HHS secretary nominee make the case to run Medicare when they can't identify the basic four parts?
Wow, powerful words from Hassan: Questioning settled science prevents us from moving forward and making critical progress that helps families, freezing us in place. This is so dangerous not just for health but also for those so worried about us being able to compete with other countries.
Reminder: he makes money from spreading his anti-science views on vaccines.
Jill Rosenthal@jillrose.bsky.social · 2y agoSenator Murphy now with a great point. RFK Jr. isn't doing any "questioning", he's already made up his mind and there is no reason to believe he'll suddenly change his mind after confirmation.
Marquisha Johns@marquishajohns.bsky.social · 2y agoHow can you "question" when you don't know what you're questioning? This is basic research.
How can you "question" when you don't know what you're questioning? This is basic research.
Annie Shoup@shoupshouts.bsky.social · 2y agoThis is just infuriating back and forth. RFK Jr. is "just questioning science" but he's also not aware of any of the scientific studies. So what exactly is he doing by questioning the science other than just grifting?
This is the question! HOW are they broken? He has no specifics for us, just sweeping summary statements. The lack of specifics should give you pause.
Andrea Ducas@andreaducas.bsky.social · 2y agoRFK Jr says he is aware of the nation's vaccine monitoring systems but believes every single one of them are "broken." Won't say why. Does say he wants to "get the people off the panels."
Not to mention there is a whole institute within NIH focused on diabetes 🫠
Andrea Ducas@andreaducas.bsky.social · 2y agoRFK Jr says there has never been an HHS Secretary focused on chronic disease. Nobody has ever cared about diabetes. Meanwhile, from the HHS Secretary 21 years ago: aspe.hhs.gov/reports/diab...
Rand Paul now claims no healthy child has died of COVID. This is false. COVID-NET data indicated that about 1 in 3 children who died of COVID had no relevant comorbidities. It is also disgustingly ableist to suggest that the deaths of those children is acceptable because they had comorbidities.
RFK Jr just said he doesn't know if the COVID-19 vaccine was a success. How can he say with a straight face that he will follow evidence? www.commonwealthfund.org/blog/2022/tw...
Two Years of U.S. COVID-19 Vaccines Have Prevented Millions of Hospitalizations and Deaths
Evidence supports the debate over whether or not vaccines help COVID management and transmission. Discover what ways COVID vaccines have helped.
commonwealthfund.org
I'll say again that you can't give infectious diseases a break and also make sure the country is prepared to fight against bird flu. The two things contradict.
Sen. Cassidy coming out strong to push RFK Jr. on his anti-vaccine views. However, his subtle response "If you show me the data, then I will commit." The evidence has been there! Someone coming in to lead HHS should already know this and shouldn't need more convincing, glad Sen. Bernie called this!
MAHA needs the partnership of America's farmers while doing very little to support the infectious disease outbreak happening throughout their farms. Make it make sense!
We're gearing up for round 2 of hearings for RFK Jr. Senators on the HELP committee today should consider deeply what his plan to "take a break" on infectious disease funding would mean, especially for their states. ⬇️
Smiling through the pain of a very sad and weird day. Thanks @andreaducas.bsky.social and @shwoolf.bsky.social for being my comrades in arms today!
Andrea Ducas@andreaducas.bsky.social · 2y agoCapping off our day on Cap Hill! @marquishajohns.bsky.social
