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Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Susan Monarez testified Wednesday that she believes her dismissal was the result of a clash over scientific standards within the agency.
In a hearing before the Senate Health Committee, Monarez claimed her termination came after she resisted efforts to bypass rigorous scientific review.
- Former CDC Director Susan Monarez says she was fired for resisting RFK Jr.'s push to bypass scientific vaccine reviews.
- Monarez testified that RFK Jr. demanded she ignore career experts and approve vaccine panel recommendations preemptively.
- RFK Jr. denies wrongdoing, claiming Monarez admitted she was untrustworthy, leading to his demand for her resignation.
Monarez was fired by President Donald Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in August, sparking the resignations of four senior CDC leaders.
Susan Monarez said Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired her for resisting vaccine changes
Image credits: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Monarez recalled an August meeting, during which she said RFK Jr. “demanded” she approve recommendations from a CDC vaccine advisory panel and dismiss the career officials who oversee vaccine policy.
“I would not commit to that, and I believe it is the true reason I was fired,” Monarez said.
Monarez testified that RFK Jr. became “very upset” when she pushed back and further said that he called CDC staff “horrible people”, also branding the agency as “corrupt.”
RFK Jr., at a Senate hearing earlier this month, painted a different picture of events and denied he had ordered Monarez to accept recommendations not backed by evidence.
He cited Monarez allegedly telling him she was untrustworthy as one of the reasons behind her ousting.
RFK Jr. testified: “I told her that she had to resign because I asked her, ‘Are you a trustworthy person?’ And she said, ‘No.’”
Image credits: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
“If you had an employee who told you they weren’t trustworthy, would you ask them to resign, Senator?” He replied to Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren.
Monarez was questioned about RFK Jr.’s comments by Republican senators during Wednesday’s hearing.
Senator Tommy Tuberville asked: “Did you tell the secretary you were untrustworthy?”
“He told me he could not trust me because I had shared information related to our conversation beyond his staff. I told him, if you cannot trust me, then you can fire me,” Monarez replied.
Monarez also expressed concern about RFK Jr.’s plans for the agency, specifically regarding childhood vaccines.
“Based on what I observed during my tenure, there is real risk that recommendations could be made restricting access to vaccines for children and others in need without rigorous scientific review. With no permanent CDC director in place, those recommendations could be adopted,” Monarez said.
Image credits: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said in a statement that Monarez’s testimony had “factual inaccuracies and left out important details.”
It also accused her of trying “maliciously to undermine the President’s agenda.”
Shakeups at the agency have caused alarm among public health experts.
RFK Jr. has long questioned vaccine safety, with his position being widely rejected by mainstream science.
Since becoming health secretary, he has replaced members of CDC advisory panels with figures sympathetic to his views.
Monarez’s concern on childhood vaccine mandates also comes after Florida, a Republican state, announced it would scrap mandates.
Florida is working to scrap vaccine mandates
Image credits: Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
At a press conference earlier this month, Florida’s Surgeon General, Joseph Ladapo, compared vaccine mandates for school children to slavery and described them as “immoral.”
He said the state is currently working to scrap all vaccine mandates, including those required for public school children.
The announcement was immediately criticized by medal associations who raised concerns it would lead to an increase in preventable diseases.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has also established the Florida Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission.
The commission is modeled after RFK Jr.’s MAHA agenda and will be chaired by Florida first lady Casey DeSantis and Lt. Governor Jay Collins.
DeSantis said the commission will “recommend state-level integrations of MAHA principles and expanded protections for parental choice regarding childhood vaccines.”
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