"RFK junior must go. Today I have filed impeachment charges to remove him."
Michigan Democrat Haley Stevens looks grim in the video where she accuses US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy of ignoring science, public health and the safety of his countrymen.
Waste of time?
She is not alone. Many party members have expressed anger over Kennedy's vaccine skepticism. But Stevens' impeachment initiative, which was introduced this week, still did not receive support from Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. The New York Democrat says he has not had time to read the submission.
"You know what I'm focused on? Making sure the American people don't lose their healthcare," Jeffries told Axios , referring to the fact that subsidies for healthcare under "Obamacare" expire at the end of the year.
Jeffries probably agrees with Stevens on the Kennedy issue. But Democrats are in the minority in both the House and Senate, and several commentators believe that protests in the form of impeachment charges are a waste of time that distracts from important realpolitik and the work of finding a presidential candidate that the party can agree on.
Voters are pressing
The atmosphere within the Democrats is tense, according to several media outlets. This is especially true as members of Congress are pressured by voters in their home districts to put their foot down regarding the White House's policies.
Earlier this year, Texas Democrat Al Green forced an impeachment vote against President Donald Trump. It was quickly killed when many Democratic members joined Republicans in voting no.
Democrat Shri Thanedar, who like Stevens is from Michigan, has also made an unsuccessful attempt to impeach Trump. He has also filed fruitless impeachment charges against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
Impeachment requires a simple majority in the House of Representatives, but conviction requires a two-thirds majority in the Senate, which acts as a court, according to the US Constitution .
