William Foege, William Roper, David Satcher, Jeffrey Koplan, Richard Besser, Tom Frieden, Anne Schuchat, Rochelle P. Walensky, and Mandy K. Cohen — all of them former directors of the CDC, under every president from Jimmy Carter to Trump — in a co-bylined op-ed for the NYT:
What the health and human services secretary, Robert F. KennedyJr., has done to the C.D.C. and to our nation’s public healthsystem over the past several months — culminating in his decisionto fire Dr. Susan Monarez as C.D.C. director days ago — is unlikeanything we had ever seen at the agency and unlike anything ourcountry had ever experienced.
Mr. Kennedy has fired thousands of federal health workers andseverely weakened programs designed to protect Americansfrom cancer, heart attacks, strokes, lead poisoning, injury,violence and more. Amid the largest measles outbreak in the UnitedStates in a generation, he’s focused on unproventreatments while downplaying vaccines. He canceledinvestments in promising medical research that will leave us illprepared for future health emergencies. He replacedexperts on federal health advisory committees with unqualifiedindividuals who share his dangerous and unscientific views. Heannounced the end of U.S. support for global vaccination programsthat protect millions of children and keep Americans safe,citing flawed research and making inaccurate statements.And he championed federal legislation that will causemillions of people with health insurance through Medicaid tolose their coverage. Firing Dr. Monarez — which led tothe resignations of top C.D.C. officials — adds considerable fuelto this raging fire. [...]
This is unacceptable, and it should alarm every American,regardless of political leanings.
It’s good that they’re speaking up, but it’s too mealy-mouthed. What’s going on at HHS under Kennedy isn’t merely “unacceptable” and “alarming”. It’s outrageous and shocking.
