The nation's top public health agency was thrown into limbo Wednesday night when the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was abruptly fired, but her lawyers insisted she remain in the job. Four other top CDC officials did resign, with one of them saying in a strongly worded statement that the Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. carries out the “weaponization of public health” from within the government.
A new acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was appointed Thursday evening, although the previous director has not yet publicly acknowledged that her term has ended.
Announcements, lawsuits and accusations have come in such a flood that it is difficult to keep track of it all. Here's a summary of what happened, where things stand now, and where they might go next.
What's happened?
On Wednesday evening, H.H.S. announced It became known through social networks that CDC Director Susan Monares, who took the oath of office less than a month ago, no longer heads the agency.
Less than two hours later, Monares' lawyers replied stating that she had not in fact been fired and that she would also refuse to resign. They argued that Kennedy, although the CDC falls under his purview as HHS secretary, does not have the authority to fire her. Only President Trump Has such power, they said.
“When CDC Director Susan Monares refused to endorse unscientific, reckless guidelines and fire dedicated health experts, she chose to protect the public over serving a political agenda, and that is why she was targeted,” Monares' lawyers wrote in a statement.
The White House issued its own statement late Wednesday saying Monores was fired because she “did not fit the President's agenda for making America healthy again.” Monares' lawyers said it was still not enough because it came from a White House official and not from Trump himself.
“Because she is a presidential appointee, a Senate-confirmed official, only the president himself can fire her,” said Mark Zaid, one of Monares' lawyers. wrote on social networks.
White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt told reporters On Thursday morning, Trump himself fired Monares, but Zayed said that was still not enough.
“[Leavitt] can say whatever he wants. … But that doesn’t make her comments factually true, even when they’re from the White House podium,” he wrote on social networks.
Four more senior CDC officials left the agency Wednesday night due to dissatisfaction with the agency's leadership under RFK.
“I can no longer serve in this role due to the ongoing weaponization of public health,” Demetre Daskalakis, who led the center overseeing national vaccination strategies, wrote in an email to colleagues that was leaked to the media.
CDC Chief Medical Officer Debra Khoury, Public Health Data Director Jennifer Layden and National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases Director Daniel Jernigan also resigned.
During an interview with Fox News on Thursday morning, Kennedy said it would be inappropriate for him to comment on personnel matters. But he charged came under fire from the CDC, claiming the agency was “in trouble” and adding that “maybe some people shouldn't work there anymore.”
Kennedy highlighted the CDC's actions during the coronavirus pandemic.
“President Trump now has very, very ambitious expectations for the CDC, and the CDC has problems,” he said. “We've seen the misinformation coming out of COVID. They got the testing wrong. They got the social distancing, masks, school closures that have done so much harm to the American people today.”
Trump has yet to publicly comment on Monares' dismissal, which will likely end uncertainty about her status.
However, HHS is moving forward as if the issue is resolved. Jim O'Neill, Kennedy's top deputy at the department, was named acting CDC director Thursday night. O'Neill, a former health official turned Silicon Valley investor, has also frequently criticized the CDC during the pandemic, although he described himselfAt his confirmation hearing in May, he was described as “extremely pro-vaccine.”
How did we get here?
Kennedy was a controversial choice to lead HHS because of his long history of health claims that run counter to scientific consensus, especially when it comes to the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. He was narrowly confirmed in the Senate, with all Democrats voting against his confirmation and all but one Republican voting in favor.
Earlier this year, Kennedy announced mass layoffs at HHS, including hundreds of employees fired from the CDC. During his tenure, he rebuilt much of the department to suit his Make America Healthy Again an agenda that centers around solutions to chronic diseases that are often at odds with medical consensus. He also fired all members of the CDC's vaccine advisory board. replacing them with allies who were previously skeptical of vaccines and contributed researcher whose work leading research into the causes of autism has been widely criticized by medical experts.
Monares, a professional infectious disease researcher, was Trump's second choice to become CDC director. She was chosen after Trump's first choice. Dave Weldonwas withdrawn over apparent concerns that Weldon would not be able to get enough Senate votes for confirmation due to his own past comments about vaccines.
Monares as reported confronted Kennedy throughout her short tenure as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Tensions within the agency escalated earlier this month after a gunman motivated by extreme anti-vaccine beliefs opened fire at the CDC's Atlanta headquarters, breaking hundreds of windows and killing a police officer. After more than 750 HHS employees were attacked published a letter Kennedy asking people to stop spreading misinformation about vaccines. Monares earlier sent a note to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) staff bemoaning the “deadly consequences” of the vaccine conspiracy, although she did not place any blame directly on Kennedy.
The situation came to a head on Wednesday, hours after the Food and Drug Administration announced new recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines, making it harder for adults under 65 without underlying health conditions to access shots.
What happens next?
Trump could officially end Monares' tenure at the CDC at any time by personally firing her.
However, the scandal may not end when Monares is finally ousted. Republican Senator. Bill Cassidywho chairs the Senate committee that deals with health-related issues, said the high-profile deviations at the CDC would require congressional oversight.
Cassidy also called for an upcoming HHS vaccine advisory committee meeting to be postponed until the allegations by departed CDC employees are fully investigated.
“These decisions directly impact the health of children and the meeting should not take place until significant oversight has been completed,” he wrote in a statement. “If the meeting proceeds, any recommendations made should be rejected as illegitimate, given the seriousness of the allegations and the current turmoil within CDC leadership.”
A permanent CDC director would also need to be appointed. It is unclear whether O'Neill, who is expected to keep his job at HHS while serving as acting director, will be in the position long-term. Any new director will have to be confirmed by the Senate.
