Voters elected Democrats who are doctors and challenged RFK Jr. Can they protect the Medicaid Program and remove him from office?

Annie Andrews was running for the Senate when she told South Carolina Democrats what she wanted to do in Washington. The pediatrician called for fully funding the Medicaid program. She also called for removing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary. After the Nov. 3 midterms, she is set to take a seat in the chamber that could question him under oath. Protecting health coverage for families, however, will take a different kind of work.

Who are Amy Acton, Annie Andrews and Abdul El-Sayed?

Andrews won a U.S. Senate seat in South Carolina, becoming the first woman elected to the Senate from the state. Dr. Amy Acton, a former Ohio health director, won the Ohio governor’s race. Michigan elected Abdul El-Sayed, a physician and former Detroit health director, to the U.S. Senate. All three have publicly criticized Kennedy’s approach to health policy.

Their new jobs give them different ways to act. Andrews and El-Sayed can vote on federal funding and press the Department of Health and Human Services for answers. Acton’s decisions will be closer to home. As governor, she can propose a state budget and shape how Ohio administers Medicaid within federal rules.

What could the election mean for the Medicaid program?

Democrats can use their congressional majorities to bring proposals to restore Medicaid funding to a vote. Any bill would still need to clear both chambers. President Donald Trump could veto it.

For Acton, the question is what Ohio can do with the funding and flexibility it has. Her administration could review how residents enroll or renew their coverage and propose state spending to support the program. A governor cannot restore federal funds on her own. The difference matters for families: A simpler renewal process could help someone keep coverage, while reversing a federal funding cut requires action in Washington.

Can Democrats remove RFK Jr. from office?

No. Winning the majority in Congress will give the Democrats a lot of power but they cannot remove Kennedy from his position. However, Congress can demand any documents and seek records related to the decisions made by his department and vaccines and other health programs. They can also call for hearings and ask the lawmakers to disclose the proces of their decsions to doctors and patients.


Impeachment is a separate step. The House would need a majority to impeach a Cabinet secretary. Removal would require two-thirds of senators present to vote to convict. Winning control of the Senate does not give Democrats that margin by itself.

What happens to the MAHA movement after the midterms?

Make America Healthy Again, or MAHA, reaches beyond Kennedy. Jennifer Pomeranz, a public health policy professor at New York University, told USA Today that the movement was unlikely to disappear. Its emphasis on what goes into food can appeal to people who disagree with Kennedy on other issues.


The election leaves room for lawmakers to address those concerns on their own terms. They could examine food industry practices while demanding evidence for changes to vaccine policy.

FAQs

Did the election restore Medicaid funding?

No. Restoring federal funding would require legislative action.

Can Amy Acton change Ohio’s Medicaid program?

She can propose changes to the state budget and oversee how Ohio runs the program within federal rules.