Susan Monarez on Wednesday testified for more than three hours, which was less than a month after the Head of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), testifying about his oster, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Accusing Kennedy Junior of doing politics on public health and putting the country in danger.
Monarez, the first Senate-Coffied CDC director, told the members of the Senate Health Committee that Kennedy pressured them and other officials to support unethical changes in the federal vaccine policy without supporting evidence, announcing key decisions on social media and bypassing the agency’s scientific process, and stopped them from talking to law makers.
Monarez said, “I was fired to lay a line on scientific integrity,”
Here are the major takeaairs.
Changes in childhood vaccine schedule
Committee Chairman Bill Cassidi (R-La.) Asked Monerez whether Kennedy had talked about childhood vaccine schedule.
Monarez testified that Kennedy told him that the childhood vaccine schedule would change in September, “and I need to stay on the board with it.”
Monarez also said that Kennedy told him that “he spoke to the President every day about changing the program of childhood vaccine.”
Kennedy has been a long time the vaccine doubt that has promoted false information about the loss of vaccines. He committed to the senators during his confirmation hearing that he supports the childhood vaccine schedule.
But an impressive panel of CDC Vaccine Consultant Kennedy Handpick is scheduled to review on Thursday and Friday – and potential changes – recommendations for hepatitis BK vaccines for infants after birth.
Hepatitis B vaccine has been credited with saving thousands of people as doctors began to administer it at birth over 30 years ago.
A spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) pushed back on the notion that Kennedy has already decided to change the childhood vaccine program.
The spokesman said, “The upcoming ACIP meeting will decide the result.” “Any possible changes in childhood vaccine schedule will be based on the latest available science and it is recommended only after ACIP and the acting approves the CDC Director Review and those recommendations.”
Monarez said that Kennedy asked him to be committed in advance to approve every recommendation from the panel, “Regardless of scientific evidence.”
Jim O’Neel, a Deputy Health and Human Services Secretary, is now the acting CDC director, with a background in Tech Investing.
Kennedy bypassed or ignored scientists
Debra Humi, former CDC Chief Medical Officer, testified that Kennedy had bypassed or ignored scientists.
When she changed recommendations on Covid-19 vaccination for healthy children and pregnant women, Humi said she came to know that Kennedy had posted it on social media.
“After the tweet came, we asked HHS for a written memorandum as I could not implement the guidance with a tweet,” Humi said. He said that he has still not seen the data used to justify changes.
Humi also said that he never informed Kennedy about the measles response of the agency.
“In a wrath response, usually you briefing the leadership. He also said that things like vaccines were in the fetal parts, and I had to send a note to our leadership team to fix that misinformation,” Humi said.
Humi, who later said that Kennedy should resign, said that none of the center directors of the agency had informed the secretary.
Monarez and Humi said that career scientists were not making major policy decisions, but were made by Kennedy’s political employees. Humi specifically nominated Kennedy’s associate Stuart Burns as helping to draft the agenda for ACIP meetings.
Burns is an experienced house GOP collaborator who is now a special advisor in CDC. He for decades working for the Republican to go for his anti-vaccine ideas, including the first pick for the CDC director of the former Florida Rape Dave Weldon-Canedi, withdrew by the White House.
Gop wants to weaken the senator monarez
Republican Senators, associated with Kennedy, accused Monarez of lying, and some grilled him at his choice of legal representation: lead DC Attorney and Trump Critics Mark Zaid and Abe Lowell.
“I think you may have an honest issue here that we want to point,” said Sen. Markwene Mulin (R-Ocla.).
Mulin suggested that there was a recording of a meeting between Monerez and Kennedy which would prove him wrong. Cassidi and Sen Burney Sanders (i-VT.) Questioned why only one committee member had received tape, and Mulin later said that he was wrong.
Sensor. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) And Ashley Moody (R-Fla.) Attacked Monarez for their choice of lawyers, meaning that he is coordinated with “anti-Trump lawyers”.
“Among the thousands of lawyers you can rent to help you through this process, why Mark Zad?” Banks asked. “You don’t feel naive at all. You have to know that Mark Zaid is a prominent rival of President Trump, notorious for his online activity that is very anti -Trump … Why have you kept a man like all thousands of lawyers?”
“Did you plan to coordinate this public spectacle around your firing?” Moody asked, seeing that Monarez called Cassidi after Kennedy, when Kennedy initially tried to push him out.
The question was amplified by the official HHS and White House Rapid Response Social Media Accounts.
