Former directors of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have issued a warning about Robert F Kennedy Jr.’s leadership.
Writing in an essay for the New York Times, nine former officials at the public health agency, which falls under the Health and Human Services (HHS) department and is responsible for disease control and prevention, said Kennedy’s HHS leadership was “endangering” the health of Americans.
Newsweek contacted HHS by email to comment on this story.
Why It Matters
Kennedy has faced escalating criticism over his running of the agency. The CDC fired 600 employees earlier this month, and last week the White House fired CDC Chief Dr Susan Monarez and replaced her with Kennedy’s deputy Jim O’Neill, sparking a backlash from health officials and lawmakers.
Meanwhile, Kennedy previously ran an anti-vaccine group and campaigned on ending vaccine mandates. At least three senior CDC leaders have resigned citing Kennedy’s leadership and vaccine policy.
Nevertheless, the Trump administration has defended him, with White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller calling the HHS secretary “a crown jewel of this administration” on Friday.
What To Know
The New York Times essay, titled We Ran the C.D.C.: Kennedy Is Endangering Every American’s Health, said Kennedy’s CDC actions, including firing Monarez and making cuts to health programs, were “unlike anything we had ever seen at the agency and unlike anything our country had ever experienced.”
Written by former directors of the CDC spanning back to 1977, it argued that cuts to health services and research programs would leave the U.S. “ill prepared for future health emergencies” and have a negative impact on “America’s health security.”
“It’s clear that the agency is hurting badly,” the report stated. “The loss of Dr. Monarez and other top leaders will make it far more difficult for the C.D.C. to do what it has done for about 80 years: work around the clock to protect Americans from threats to their lives and health.”
It added that “state and local governments must fill funding gaps where they can,” while the private sector and charities should also invest in medical initiatives to combat Kennedy’s impact.
The letter was signed by Dr. William Foege, Dr. William Roper, Dr. David Satcher, Dr. Jeffrey Koplan, Dr. Richard Besser, Dr. Tom Frieden, Dr. Anne Schuchat, Dr. Rochelle Walensky and Dr. Mandy Cohen.
What People Are Saying
Kennedy wrote in a recent letter to CDC employees: “I am committed to working with you to restore trust, transparency, and credibility to the CDC. Your daily efforts—often unseen—save lives. Reform does not diminish your work; it strengthens it. The American people are ready to believe in this agency again if we show them that integrity, accountability, and science guide every decision.”
Speaking to Newsweek, Scott Lucas, who teaches international politics at University College Dublin, said: “Kennedy doesn’t go unless Trump decides that he has to go, simple as that.” He added: “If we were talking about a normal government, where expertise mattered, where sense and sensibility mattered, he would never have gotten into cabinet in the first place but we’re not talking about normal U.S. government”.
Former CDC Chief Medical Officer Dr Debra Houry, who resigned in August, told the BBC: “I am extremely worried that with continued resignations, terminations, retirements, all because of what’s going on through some of these policies, that we are not going to have the capacity to continue to do good science, to respond to an outbreak and to prevent chronic diseases.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a written statement: “Donald Trump knew Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would be a disastrous pick to lead health care in America and he nominated him anyway. Donald Trump made this mistake and now he must fire RFK Jr. immediately.”
What Happens Next
Whether Kennedy publicly responds to the essay remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, the HHS secretary is also facing a lawsuit from a coalition of six medical organizations over his decision to revoke COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for children and pregnant women.
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