Getting your representatives on the record isn’t a waste of time. You know all those letters you get from politicians in response that you hardly ever read because you don’t have time or don’t want to read because one or more of your representatives is terrible? Save those letters, and when you have a candidate you prefer, that’s going to be running against them, either in a primary or the general, you send all those letters to that candidate’s campaign so they can use those crap responses against them. Because chances are if you thought the response was outrageous, other people are going to find them off-putting enough to get out to vote. There are other reasons you want to keep these replies to use too, but this is just a suggestion of one thing you can do with them. Sometimes journalists might be interested in them too. I make a special email folder for them.
The Advocate ACIP government vaccine panel meeting postponed after judge voids RFK Jr.’s appointments Christopher Wiggins Mon, March 16, 2026 at 7:32 PM EDT The Advocate has learned that the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, known as ACIP, paused its scheduled March 18–19 meeting following the ruling. Reached for comment, a Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson confirmed that “the ACIP meeting is postponed.” The disruption comes after U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy in Massachusetts temporarily halted multiple elements of Kennedy’s overhaul, including revisions to the childhood vaccine schedule and the installation of new ACIP members. In doing so, the court effectively sidelined the reconstituted panel and froze actions taken under it.
Judge Blocks RFK Jr.'s Overhaul of Vaccine Recommendations — HHS secretary violated federal procedures in revamping advisory committee, judge says by Joyce Frieden, Washington Editor, MedPage Today March 16, 2026 "What's notable about the opinion is at the outset, it acknowledges the importance of the scientific method ... and the apparatus built around evidence-based vaccine recommendations over decades," said Richard Hughes, lead counsel for the AAP, at an online press conference. Asked by MedPage Today whether there was any scenario under which ACIP could still legally hold its Wednesday meeting -- where the plan was to discuss COVID-19 vaccines, among other issues -- Hughes replied, "No, absolutely not." As the judge said, "'They cannot meet for how can a committee meet without nearly the entirety of its membership?'" said Hughes. The judge's order, however, is not the final word. The blocks are temporary, pending either a trial or a decision for summary judgment.
In a lot of cases judges are put into place by elections rather than appointments. But judges are not supposed to be representatives like your member of congress or your state senator, or even your mayor. They’re supposed to be, as much as possible, impartial interpreters of fair law. You wouldn’t just write to them and ask them to do your political agendas like you would your state rep or delegate in the state assembly, for example. Don’t waste time, write your reps, they listen to constituents.
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