HHS Secretary RFK Jr. Defends CDC Shakeup Amid Senate Criticism

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended his overhaul of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during a Senate Finance Committee hearing, criticizing the agency's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and citing its policies as harmful to small businesses, civil liberties, and public health. Kennedy justified the firing of CDC Director Susan Monarez and other senior officials as necessary to restore the CDC to its role as the world's gold standard for public health, accusing the agency of failures that contributed to the U.S. having nearly 20% of global COVID-19 deaths despite having only 4.2% of the world's population. He has also faced criticism from both Democrats and Republicans, including Sen. Bill Cassidy and Sen. Ron Wyden, for actions perceived as undermining vaccine confidence and scientific standards. Kennedy denied allegations that he pressured Monarez to approve vaccine recommendations that conflicted with scientific evidence, countering claims made in Monarez's Wall Street Journal op-ed. The shakeup at the CDC and Kennedy's vaccine policy changes have sparked concern among medical organizations and lawmakers about the direction of public health leadership. Kennedy aligned with President Donald Trump in calling for greater transparency from vaccine manufacturers while emphasizing the need for bold, competent, and creative new leadership at the CDC.