House and Senate Democrats are calling on President Donald Trump to rescind his Aug. 10 executive order targeting childhood vaccines, citing the growing measles outbreak, which has reached its highest level in 35 years. In a letter signed by more than 90 Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), lawmakers criticized Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic, for overhauling the childhood vaccination schedule and described the move as a substitution. “anti-vaccine ideology over decades of scientific evidence.” “Every day this Executive Order remains in effect, more children are left without the vaccines that would protect them, additional outbreaks become more likely, and lives are put at risk,” the letter said. “We urge you to rescind this Executive Order immediately and restore evidence-based decision making to federal public health policy.” The letter, obtained by NBC News, was sent Monday night. “The result will not be safer or healthier children; it will be a continued decline in vaccination rates, recurring disease outbreaks, increased health care costs, and school disruptions that cause learning loss,” they wrote. While the letter has no Republican signatories, at least one Republican, Sen. Bill Cassidy (La.), who is a doctor, recently criticized the order, calling it “a stupid thing” on Sunday.
