Senator Criticizes CDC Director’s Dismissal
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has spoken out against the recent actions of Susan Monares, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), labeling them “outrageous.” He is calling for the Senate to conduct an oversight hearing regarding personnel changes at the agency.
“It’s ridiculous,” Sanders remarked about Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s decision, noting the rapid dismissal of the CDC director who had just begun her role a few weeks prior, emphasizing her dedication to public health and vaccinations.
Sanders urged the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee to schedule a hearing soon involving both Kennedy and the CDC director. He stated, “Vaccines save lives. It’s critical.”
On Wednesday, the White House announced Monares’s termination, just one month after she was sworn in.
In response to her firing, several CDC officials, including Deb Houry, who served as Chief Medical Officer of Programs and Science and Deputy Director, resigned shortly thereafter.
Senate President Bill Cassidy (R-La.), chair of the Health Committee and a medical professional, echoed Sanders’s sentiments, suggesting that the committee’s oversight is essential following the abrupt departures.
The Department of Health and Human Services issued a statement confirming Monares’s role at the agency “now,” but her legal team pushed back against this. Her lawyers, Cheesy Lowell and Mark Zaid, argued that Monares had not formally accepted her resignation, saying, “She chose to protect the public rather than serve a political agenda, which is likely why she faced this scrutiny.”
Later, the White House reaffirmed that Monares had been dismissed. White House spokesperson Kush Desai stated, “Susan Monares does not align with the president’s goal of improving public health,” adding that she had been informed of the intention to remove her from her position after refusing to resign.
Reports from the New York Times indicate that Kennedy had demanded Monares either resign or be fired due to ongoing tensions regarding vaccine policy.
