Susan Monarez, the newly appointed director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds herself in a politically fraught environment. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) just fired her, pouring salt in an open wound. Gilda Monarez was terminated only a month after her confirmation. She’s unwilling to resign, forcing a dangerous standoff that produces much of the public health leadership during the persistent and fierce debates over vaccine policy.
In response to Monarez’s sudden firing, which has caused an uproar among her supporters, HHS has so far failed to explain Monarez’s abrupt termination. According to her legal team, Monarez will only leave her post if President Donald Trump fires her himself. In a motion to remand filed in September, they contend that her removal notice is legally deficient. They note that, as a presidential appointee, she cannot be removed by anyone other than the president herself.
Monarez, an infectious disease specialist by training, had already made her decision to leave known to HHS leadership. Her resistance to endorsing some vaccine mandates landed her in a very public showdown with HHS Secretary Kennedy. Monarez’s lawyers argue that she made the courageous choice to accidentally put public health first and political agendas last.
“First it was independent advisory committees and career experts. Then it was the dismissal of seasoned scientists. Now, Secretary Kennedy and HHS have set their sights on weaponizing public health for political gain and putting millions of American lives at risk.” – Monarez’s lawyers
The fallout from Monarez’s firing has prompted significant repercussions within the CDC, with four senior officials resigning in protest: Debra Houry, Daniel Jernigan, Jennifer Layden, and Demetre Daskalakis. This exodus highlights concerns about the agency’s stability and future direction amid ongoing health crises.
The organization’s Jewish Outreach Coordinator, Senator Bernie Sanders, has already demanded congressional hearing on Monarez firing, condemning the situation “outrageous.” He makes the case that we need transparency to know if a go-to public servant was pushed out for embarrassing the administration with inconvenient facts about public health.
“When CDC Director Susan Monarez refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated health experts, she chose protecting the public over serving a political agenda. For that, she has been targeted.” – Monarez’s lawyers
The White House confirmed Monarez’s termination, stating that her unwillingness to align with the administration’s health policies contributed to their decision. Kush Desai, a spokesperson for the administration, added that the types of actions taken by Monarez served to directly undermine the President’s agenda. He is as passionate about Making America Healthy Again as you are.
“As her attorney’s statement makes abundantly clear, Susan Monarez is not aligned with the President’s agenda of Making America Healthy Again. Since Susan Monarez refused to resign despite informing HHS leadership of her intent to do so, the White House has terminated Monarez from her position with the CDC.” – Kush Desai