In a tense Senate Finance Committee hearing on September 4, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended sweeping personnel changes at the CDC. He described the firings as “absolutely necessary adjustments” aimed at restoring integrity and effectiveness to the agency. Kennedy emphasized a mandate for “unbiased, politics‑free, transparent, evidence‑based science” as the foundation for future CDC operations.
Senate Finance Committee lawmakers pressed Secretary Kennedy on recent upheavals at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In late August, the CDC laid off roughly 600 employees, and later its director, Susan Monarez, who had been on the job less than a month, was abruptly fired. Four other senior officials also resigned in quick succession.
Kennedy also terminated all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, known as ACIP, which is responsible for vaccine guidance. He defended the move, contesting accusations that he “stacked the deck” in his favor. Instead, he stated, “I depoliticized it,” pointing to “conflicts of interest” on the committee as justification for the purge.
Senator Ron Wyden (D‑OR) pushed back, accusing Kennedy of elevating “conspiracy theorists, crackpots, and grifters” into key decision-making roles on critical health matters. Kennedy flatly rejected this charge, asserting that the CDC had “failed miserably” during COVID‑19—despite representing just 4% of the world’s population, America suffered about 20% of global COVID‑19 deaths.
Kennedy insisted the recent firings targeted those with conflicts of interest, poor judgment, or political agendas. “That’s why we need new blood at CDC,” he stated, arguing the agency needs to return to its mission of protecting Americans through credible science—free of bias or partisan influence. He pledged the agency’s direction would remain rooted in transparency and integrity “for the next three years.”
