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15h ago

Sanders Urges RFK Jr. to Resign as HHS Chief After CDC Turmoil

The demand spotlights mounting concern over resignations, walkouts and the CDC’s ability to function effectively.

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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Debra Houry talks to workers and supporters as they rally for departing scientific leaders at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outside the CDC headquarters, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Ben Gray)
U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attends a press conference with Texas Governor Greg Abbott (not pictured) at the State Capitol in Austin, Texas, U.S., August 28, 2025.

Overview

  • Sen. Bernie Sanders called on Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to step down in a New York Times op-ed, accusing him of endangering public health through anti-vaccine policies.
  • CDC Director Susan Monarez was fired less than a month into her tenure after clashing with Kennedy over vaccine policy; her lawyers initially disputed her removal, and Deputy HHS Secretary Jim O’Neill was tapped as acting CDC director.
  • Four senior CDC officials resigned in protest and hundreds of staff walked out, citing political interference and misinformation that they say undermine the agency’s mission.
  • Kennedy has replaced all 17 members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee, rolled back COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, and halted nearly $500 million tied to mRNA work, prompting Sen. Bill Cassidy to seek oversight and urge postponement of the panel’s next meeting.
  • The White House defended the firing, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying the president can remove officials not aligned with his mission, as lawmakers prepare to scrutinize the upheaval when Congress returns.