Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is under intense fire after his dismissal of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez set off resignations among top public health leaders and renewed calls for his removal.
Don Beyer Slams RFK Jr. Over Vaccine Conspiracies
Last week, Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) said President Donald Trump must act quickly, warning that Kennedy's leadership was endangering families.
"Trump must fire Robert F. Kennedy Jr. now, before he further endangers millions of American children, mothers, and families," Beyer said in a statement.
He called Kennedy a "kook" promoting "crackpot conspiracy theories" that undermine vaccination efforts.
Sara Rodriguez And Bernie Sanders Join Calls For RFK Jr.'s Removal
During the same time, Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez of Wisconsin, a Democratic candidate for governor and former CDC staffer, echoed the demand, reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"We need actual public health leadership at HHS," Rodriguez said, warning that "gutting that level of expertise is going to make us all less safe."
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) added his voice in a New York Times essay, condemning Kennedy's "dangerous policies" and accusing him of spreading conspiracy theories "rejected repeatedly by scientific experts."
Monarez's ouster, less than a month after her Senate confirmation, triggered resignations from CDC officials, including Dr. Debra Houry and Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, who accused Kennedy of using the agency to push policies divorced from science.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comments.
CDC Shooting And Vaccine Rollback Intensify Concerns Over Kennedy's Policies
In August, the Department of Health and Human Services canceled 22 vaccine development projects worth $500 million that were aimed at creating mRNA-based vaccines for respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, the flu, and H5N1.
That same month, a gunman opened fire at CDC headquarters in Atlanta. Authorities identified him as 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White, who allegedly targeted the agency over his opposition to COVID-19 vaccines.
A group of former CDC employees blamed Kennedy Jr. for fostering hostility toward the agency through "continuous lies about science and vaccine safety."
Last week, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sounded the alarm on Trump's attempts to overhaul leadership at the CDC, warning of risks to public health.
Kennedy announced on social media that emergency use authorizations for COVID-19 vaccines had been rescinded, and reports indicated the Trump administration was preparing to pull the vaccines from the U.S. market within months.
Photo Courtesy: Joshua Sukoff on Shutterstock.com
Read Next:
