Even the unexpected firing of senior CDC official Susan Monarez, which occurred this week, has gotten heavy bipartisan blowback. This rare bipartisan backlash was specifically directed at the Biden administration. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., then U.S. Secretary of Health, sent Monarez packing. This move has sparked the most substantial backlash from legislators and public health activists so far. Foes say that although this may seem like a harmless concession, it would signal the Trump administration’s latest effort to erode scientific integrity and public health initiatives.
Monarez’s firing followed her alleged refusal to acquiesce to orders to fire agency personnel and restrict access to established vaccines. Her ouster led to a widespread revolt at the CDC. Dozens of staff members staged an impromptu walk-out from their Atlanta headquarters in solidarity with her and other recently departed chiefs. This protest highlights the increasing anger among employees of the agency over recent claims of political influence in public health decision-making.
Karoline Leavitt, another mouthpiece for the administration, blasted Monarez’s predecessor. She protested his use of “pregnant people” to describe pregnant women in his resignation letter. She stated, “One of those individuals wrote in his departure statement that he identifies pregnant women as pregnant people, so that’s not someone we want in this administration anyway.” This comment has since drawn fierce criticism from advocates who say it reinforces harmful perceptions that exist about transgender and non-binary identities.
Bernie Sanders, a prominent Democratic senator, weighed in on the situation, expressing concern over what he described as a “full-blown war on science, on public health, and on truth itself.” He condemned the restrictions on vaccine access initiated by Secretary Kennedy, stating, “In just six months, Secretary Kennedy has dismantled the vaccine review process, narrowed access to life-saving Covid vaccines and filled scientific advisory boards with conspiracy theorists and ideologues.”
Senator Susan Collins of Maine, the top Republican on the committee with jurisdiction over the U.S. She reminded them that Monarez had just three weeks of experience in her new role. “She’s been on the job for only three weeks and I am very concerned and alarmed by this removal,” Collins remarked. This rare show of bipartisan concern is part of a larger, national anxiety about what these changes in leadership could mean for public health strategy.
Recently, Republican senator Bill Cassidy introduced an amendment that would postpone the next Department of Health and Human Services committee markup. He made this proposal because of the dramatic conflict and strife inside CDC leadership. He stated, “If the meeting proceeds, any recommendations made should be rejected as lacking legitimacy given the seriousness of the allegations and the current turmoil in CDC leadership.”
The fallout from Monarez’s firing has been exacerbated by Secretary Kennedy’s controversial history as the founder of an anti-vaccine group. His recent behavior, including his campaign against immunizations, has been widely condemned by public health experts as harmful to the overall public health campaign. As he’s instituted these policies, advocates have raised alarms about the widening gulf of access to Covid vaccines—especially as the pandemic continues.
As the conversations surrounding public health policy shift, a large number of community members, leaders, and organizations are still piping up with their opposition to the current administration’s path. Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, who resigned over these issues, reflected on the broader impact of such terminology: “I find it outrageous that this administration is trying to erase transgender people.” He further emphasized his stance with remarks about his resignation, stating, “I very specifically used the term pregnant people… to make the point that I am defying this terrible strategy at trying to erase people.”