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5h ago

HHS Removes CDC Director Susan Monarez Less Than a Month After She Was Sworn In

HHS offered no explanation; reports cite policy clashes, a canceled staff call and senior departures as signs of deepening turmoil.

FILE - Susan Monarez, President Donald Trump's nominee to be director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, arrives to testify before the Senate HELP Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, file)
FILE PHOTO: Susan Monarez, U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee to be director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, testifies before a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 25, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt/File Photo
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© Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

Overview

  • The Health and Human Services Department said on X that Susan Monarez is no longer CDC director and thanked her for her service, confirming her exit less than a month after her July 31 swearing-in.
  • Monarez’s tenure is the shortest in the CDC’s 79-year history, following her 51–47 Senate confirmation under the 2023 law requiring Senate approval for the post.
  • Deputy director Debra Houry was named acting director pending a permanent replacement, according to multiple reports.
  • The Washington Post first reported the ouster; news accounts describe a canceled agencywide call and report that officials pointed to disagreements with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over proposed reforms.
  • Axios reported additional high-level CDC departures, including Daniel Jernigan and Demetre Daskalakis, as the agency also contends with security concerns after the Aug. 8 Atlanta campus shooting and sweeping vaccine-policy changes.