Former CDC Director Susan Monarez Lights Up Ex-Boss RFK Jr. in Blistering Statement on Capitol Hill
Ousted CDC chief Dr. Susan Monarez ripped into her former boss, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., before a Senate panel on Wednesday, claiming he demanded that she pre-approve every recommendation of his vaccine board “regardless of scientific evidence.”
The statement by Monarez to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, came less than a month after she was fired from the CDC over a reported dispute with Kennedy over vaccines.
“My tenure as CDC director lasted 29 days,” Monarez said in her opening statement. “Since my removal, several explanations have been offered: that I told the secretary I would resign, that I was not aligned with administration priorities, or that I was untrustworthy. None of those reflect what actually happened.”
Monarez admitted her tenure as CDC director was rocky almost from the jump, when she learned from media reports on Aug. 2 that Kennedy had fired medical experts serving on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
Weeks later, Monarez said she was faced with a concerning request from Kennedy.
“On the morning of Aug. 25, Secretary Kennedy demanded two things of me that were inconsistent with my oath of office and the ethics required of a public official,” Monarez told the Senate. “He directed me to commit in advance to approving every ACIP recommendation regardless of the scientific evidence.
“He also directed me to dismiss career officials responsible for vaccine policy without cause. He said if I was unwilling to do both, I should resign,” she continued.
When she responded that she could not pre-approve recommendations without taking a look at scientific evidence, Kennedy told her he “had already spoken with the White House several times about having me removed.”
On Aug. 27, the HHS announced that Monarez, who was only confirmed as director by the Senate on July 29, would be removed from her post.
During his own grilling by lawmakers on Capitol Hill early this month, Kennedy admitted he fired Monarez after she said she refused to rubber-stamp unscientific orders. Other top CDC employees soon followed her out the door.
