RFK Jr. has destroyed over a quarter of health dept's expert panels

RFK Jr. has eliminated over a quarter of the Department of Health and Human Services' expert advisory panels, gutting scientific oversight across multiple agencies without formal replacement. This is a landmark rollback of institutional expertise, not just a staffing tweak—it outpaces the previous record of reductions seen under the Reagan administration, which cut only 15% of panels over four years. A 2025 GAO report found that the affected panels oversaw 40% of HHS regulatory decisions.