HSS workers call for RFK Jr.'s resignation due to perceived threats to national health
In a series of high-profile departures, Dr. Susan Monarez, the newly confirmed director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was ousted by the Trump administration after refusing to sign off on potential new vaccine restrictions.
The employees of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have called for the appointment of a new Secretary of Health and Human Services, citing concerns about Kennedy's leadership. More than 1,000 current and former employees wrote a letter to Kennedy on Wednesday, arguing that his leadership has "put the health of all Americans at risk" and demanding his resignation.
The employees also accused Kennedy of facilitating Monarez's firing and cited the appointment of "political ideologues" to influential roles in vaccine policy as a concern. They further alleged that HHS rescinded emergency use authorizations for Covid-19 vaccines without providing the data or methods used to reach such a decision.
Sen. Bernie Sanders called for Kennedy's resignation in an opinion piece published in the New York Times on Saturday. US Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Rosa DeLauro also called for Kennedy's firing, with Murray making her call last week after Monarez's ouster, and DeLauro at a budget hearing on Tuesday.
Sen. Bill Cassidy has called for the postponement of the scheduled meeting of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices due to serious allegations about the meeting agenda, membership, and lack of scientific process. The meeting is scheduled to occur on September 18.
Any recommendations made from the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices meeting should be rejected as lacking legitimacy given the seriousness of the allegations and the current turmoil in CDC leadership, according to Sen. Bill Cassidy.
The resignations of four other senior officials at the public health agency followed Monarez's declaration of being fired. The search results do not specify who took over the position of the new HHS chief after Kennedy's resignation.
Kennedy is scheduled to testify before the Senate Committee on Finance on Thursday morning. The high profile departures from the CDC will require oversight by the HELP Committee, according to Sen. Bill Cassidy. The letter was also addressed to members of Congress.
The letter's allegations have raised concerns about the integrity and scientific process at the CDC and HHS, with some calling for greater oversight and transparency in vaccine policy decisions. The situation continues to unfold, with Kennedy's testimony before the Senate Committee on Finance promising to shed more light on the matter.
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