Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s security detail was enhanced using $80 million reallocated from several minority health offices within the department. This funding shift occurred despite the U.S. Marshals Service also providing security for Kennedy, an arrangement described as unusual by sources.
The reallocation of funds has led to significant cuts across at least seven minority health offices within HHS, including the Office of Minority Health and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD). These cuts have resulted in layoffs for many staff members, in some cases eliminating entire teams and their directors. For example, all 40 staff members at the CMS Office of Minority Health were laid off, and roughly a third of NIMHD staff were cut through layoffs, early retirements, and buyouts.
Health policy experts have expressed concerns that these deep cuts could exacerbate existing health disparities in the U.S., potentially undoing years of progress in addressing these issues. They warn that such actions could worsen health outcomes for underserved populations, strain the healthcare system, and ultimately increase healthcare costs for everyone. A 2023 study funded by NIMHD estimated that racial and ethnic health disparities cost the U.S. economy $451 billion in 2018.
In addition to the federally funded security, Kennedy has also received substantial gifts for personal security and travel from a top donor, Gavin de Becker. De Becker provided more than $250,000 worth of free flights to Fiji and Greece, as well as the use of a vacation home in Washington, D.C. These gifts were reported in Kennedy's amended annual financial ethics disclosure. Kennedy's presidential campaign also incurred significant debt, amounting to $1.4 million, to Gavin de Becker and Associates for private security services during his campaign, with De Becker also donating millions to a pro-Kennedy super PAC.
