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last mo.

RFK Jr. Ousts HHS Chief of Staff and Policy Deputy, Installs Acting Successor

Secretary Kennedy cited a loss of confidence in his senior team without specifying a trigger or naming permanent successors.

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U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a roundtable discussion on soil health in the Mike Mansfield Room at the U.S. Capitol on July 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. Marshall, who created the Senate MAHA Caucus, was joined by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins to discuss his Plant Biostimulant Act, which creates a process for approving the commercial use of plant biostimulants as alternatives to synthetic pesticides and fertilizers.
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Overview

  • Kennedy dismissed Chief of Staff Heather Flick Melanson and Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Hannah Anderson after only months on the job without offering reasons for their departures.
  • Matt Buckham, previously HHS’s White House liaison overseeing political appointee onboarding, has been named acting chief of staff effective immediately.
  • Both Melanson and Anderson held senior roles during President Trump’s administration and were viewed as loyal to his agenda.
  • Their ousters mark the latest move in Kennedy’s aggressive restructuring of HHS following major workforce cuts and advisory-panel shake-ups.
  • With no permanent replacements announced, the abrupt turnover raises concerns about continuity and the pace of policy implementation at HHS.