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2d ago

Sanders Calls for RFK Jr. to Resign After CDC Shake-Up

The Vermont senator’s public demand heightens oversight pressure following leadership turmoil at the CDC that prompted senior resignations and staff walkouts.

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) listens as U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer testifies before a Senate Finance Committee hearing on U.S. President Donald Trump's trade policy, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 8, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt/File Photo/File Photo
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Overview

  • Bernie Sanders wrote in a New York Times op-ed that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is endangering public health and should step down.
  • Susan Monarez was removed as CDC director after resisting new vaccine limits urged by Kennedy, prompting four senior resignations and a walkout by hundreds of CDC employees.
  • The White House defended the firing as aligning leadership with the president’s mission, while Deputy HHS Secretary Jim O’Neill was tapped as acting CDC director.
  • Sen. Bill Cassidy called for committee oversight of the departures and urged postponement of the reconstituted vaccine advisory panel’s Sept. 18 meeting, questioning its scientific process.
  • Public‑health figures, including former CDC official Demetre Daskalakis, warned Kennedy’s moves—rolling back COVID‑19 guidance, cutting about $500 million for mRNA work, and replacing the ACIP—threaten vaccination programs and public trust.