WASHINGTON — For months, Maryland Sen. Angela Alsobrooks stood alone as the only senator to call for the resignation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Not anymore.

Twenty-two Democratic senators signed on to support the resolution of no confidence that Alsobrooks re-filed on Thursday, following Kennedy’s contentious hearing with the Senate Finance Committee. The resolution declares that the Senate and the American people disapprove of Kennedy as the Health and Human Services secretary, calling for his removal.

It adds to the burgeoning public opposition to Kennedy remaining secretary of HHS, after the majority of Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee demanded his resignation prior to Thursday’s hearing.

“It’s important that we move beyond just the mere recognition,” Alsobrooks told The Baltimore Sun. “The case is mounting against Kennedy, and I think it’s going to require action.”

Maryland’s junior senator said she’s observed HHS from a unique perch, given the state’s ties to the department — specifically the National Institutes of Health, headquartered in Bethesda, which has faced significant cuts and changes under the Trump administration.

“I’ve had unique access to what’s happening,” Alsobrooks said. “I’ve heard so many firsthand stories,” mentioning supply issues that at times left employees without gloves or bleach.

Kennedy, a torchbearer for the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, defended his leadership during Thursday’s hearing.

“Under President Trump’s leadership, we at HHS are enacting a once-in-a-generation shift from a sick care system to a true health care system that tackles the root causes of chronic disease.”

“Finally, we have an administration that is taking action,” Kennedy added.

The senators who joined the resolution represent the full blend of the party’s experience and ideology. More progressive senators, like Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia — who told Kennedy that he should step down during the finance hearing — to Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, the members span the breadth of the caucus.

The resolution is not anticipated to be adopted in the Republican-controlled Senate. But the growth of lawmakers attached to it is another sign that momentum against Kennedy is intensifying in the wake of a tumultuous few months atop HHS, including a rebellion of senior leadership and employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week after Kennedy fired Director Susan Monarez.

Alsobrooks detailed the dysfunction in a new report on the first 203 days of Kennedy’s time at HHS. She partnered with Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., ranking member of the Finance committee, to produce the report. It lists a day-to-day breakdown of Kennedy’s actions at the department, from staffing decisions to funding cuts, that Alsobrooks said sowed chaos and confusion within its various agencies.

“I haven’t seen a single good thing he’s done,” Alsobrooks said. “He continues to not only spread misinformation regarding vaccines, but he is now taking an additional step to limit access to vaccinations.”

During Thursday’s hearing, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., referred to a conservative commentator, Erick Erickson, whose wife was recently unable to obtain a COVID-19 vaccine due to changes at the department.

“I would say effectively we’re denying people vaccines,” Cassidy said.

“You’re wrong,” Kennedy responded.

Alsobrooks was pleased to see her Republican colleagues question some of Kennedy’s actions, but said she would like to see them go further and reiterated an earlier point.

“It’s important that we move beyond just the mere recognition,” Alsobrooks said. “What this moment requires is that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle take action.”

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