A massive dispute has erupted after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy attempted to remove the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Susan Monarez, for taking a different stance on vaccine policy. Monarez was sworn in just a month ago, and since she technically serves President Donald Trump, Kennedy doesn’t really have the power to remove her.
After her removal, four senior leaders of the CDC abruptly resigned, protesting Kennedy’s stance on vaccines and his management style. The CDC now faces a crisis of leadership, and Georgia Democrats have united to slam the Trump Administration’s behavior.
Senator Jon Ossoff (D) released an official statement, strongly criticizing Kennedy as a ‘quack’ whose appointment constitutes a ‘grave error.’ He also remarked on the terrible relationship between the Administration and the CDC and believes that it puts people at risk.
Ossoff continued, “The Trump Administration has been engaged for months in a campaign to destroy the CDC, America’s preeminent disease-fighting agency. The Administration’s extremism and incompetence are putting lives at risk.”
Senator Raphael Warnock (D) shared a similar message, stating that this is the result of prioritizing extreme ideology over basic policy. He went on to predict a reduction in the ability of the country to confront diseases.
Warnock continued, “The result is leaders who treat your safety as a secondary concern. Advancing their worldview comes first. That’s what we’re seeing at the CDC & it’s going to decimate our ability to fight disease.”
Representative Hank Johnson (D) took a different approach and praised Monarez for refusing to put politics over sound policy, while calling Kennedy a ‘disgrace’ and a threat to public health. Like Warnock, he also predicted that this lack of leadership would result in negative consequences pertaining to public health.
Representative Nikema Williams (D) outright called this a purge of leadership, targeting those who disagree and jeopardizing the CDC’s ability to serve. She also believes that health crises will be on the rise without strong leadership present and that Trump’s policies are deliberately endangering the country.
Georgia Democrats have made it a point to stand by the CDC against efforts by the Trump Administration reduce its workforce and influence its policy. Since the CDC is located in Georgia, they have adopted a strong protective stance over it and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
