May 23, 2025

Warren Presses Defense Secretary Hegseth to Investigate How RFK’s Fluoride Crusade Could Hurt Servicemembers, Military Readiness

 Trump DoD Nominee: “Dental health issues are often the largest cause of non-deployability within a military unit.”

“Medical readiness of Reserve and National Guard personnel is an ongoing challenge, and this could be exacerbated by the decision to remove fluoride from community drinking water.”

Text of Letter (PDF)

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass), ranking member of the Personnel subcommittee for the Senate Armed Services Committee, pressed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on the harmful impact that Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kennedy’s work to remove fluoride from drinking water would have on our military readiness.   

“As the Secretary of Defense, you are responsible for ensuring the readiness of American troops to maintain a capable and lethal military.” wrote Senator Warren. “Dental readiness is consistently falling short of the Military Health System (MHS) readiness goals, and will further suffer as a direct result of Secretary Kennedy’s plans.” 

In 2011, the Department of Defense found that “dental decay continues to be a major problem for military personnel and is a significant reason for personnel to be classified as non-deployable.” Sean O’Keefe, the Trump administration’s nominee to be Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, recently indicated to Sen.Warren  in questions for the record following his confirmation hearing that, “dental health issues are often the largest cause of non-deployability within a military unit.” 

“Secretary Kennedy’s reversal of CDC’s recommendations on fluoridated water will exacerbate these readiness concerns.” wrote Senator Warren. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends community water fluoridation to prevent cavities and tooth decay. However, on April 8, 2025, Secretary Kennedy announced his plans to direct the CDC to stop recommending the fluoridation of drinking water in American communities. 

In 2013, the Department of Defense mandated water fluoridation at “all [military] installations in the United States and territories that own or operate a potable water treatment facility serving 3,300 persons or more.” While this safeguard is beneficial for the military personnel that live on military installations, the majority of servicemembers live in civilian communities and would be directly affected by Secretary Kennedy’s work to undermine community water fluoridation. 

Senator Warren’s letter requests information related to dental readiness and to compliance with the Department of Defense mandate to fluoridate water on military installations. In order to ensure the Department of Defense continues to prioritize military readiness, Senator Warren requested additional information from the Department by June 5, 2025. 

Senator Warren has led work to improve servicemembers’ access to health care: 

  • In December 2024, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a letter to Acting Under Secretary Vazirani raising continued concerns about the Department of Defense’s (DoD) failure to prevent price gouging and overpayments in the military’s TRICARE health program. 
  • In June 2024, Senators Elizabeth Warren, Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), U.S. Representative Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), and 20 other lawmakers sent a letter to Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Dr. Lester Martinez-Lopez and Director of the Defense Health Agency (DHA) Lieutenant General Telita Crosland, raising concerns over Express Scripts’ exclusive contract to administer TRICARE’s pharmacy program, the healthcare system for the military, retirees, and their families. 
  • In July 2023, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren chaired a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel. She called out the Department of Defense (DoD) for wasting billions in taxpayers dollars due to price gouging by defense contractors for services and  in health care, and identified opportunities for cost savings when DoD buys personnel-related goods and services. 
  • In July 2023, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Director of the Defense Health Agency (DHA), Lieutenant General Telita Crosland, regarding a series of DoD Inspector General (IG) reports  finding that the Department of Defense (DoD) is failing to prevent price gouging and overpayments to contractors in the TRICARE health program.
  • On March 2, 2022, Senator Warren and her colleagues called out drug manufacturers for squeezing American families with rapid and widespread price hikes on prescription drugs. 
  • In February 2022, at a hearing, Senator Warren called out corporations for abusing their market power to raise consumer prices and boost profits. 
  • In May 2020, Senator Warren wrote to the Department requesting clarification on how the Department would prevent profiteering following a recent change to increase payments to contractors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • In March 2020, Senator Warren joined her colleagues in urging the FTC to use its full authority to prevent abusive price gouging on consumer health products during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

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