The former director of the centers for the control and prevention of diseases, Susan Monarez, testifies to the Senate Committee for Health, Education, Labor and Pension in the Senate of the Senate on September 17, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Washington-Hemal director of disease control and prevention, Susan Monarez, said in front of a US Senate Committee that she was released after only 29 days because she refused to evaluate vaccination recommendations or fire officers in advance.
Monarez, who was nominated by President Donald Trump at the beginning of this year and was confirmed in a party line in July in July in July, became a central personality of the country’s debate about public health last month.
Monarez said that the secretary of health and human services during a meeting at the end of August, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., informed her that she had to commit to approving the upcoming recommendations of the advisory committee for vaccination practices without checking data or research.
“He also instructed me to release career officers for no reason.” I replied that I did not recommend recommendations in advance without checking the evidence, and I had no basis for dismissing scientific experts. “
Monarez said before the Committee on Health, Education, Work and Pensions during the Almost three -hour hearing He could fire her Kennedy if he didn’t trust her.
During the same meeting in August, Monarez said that Kennedy told her that the schedule for the children in childhood will change in September and that it must be on board.
“We came to an exchange that I had suggested that I would be open to changing vaccination plans for children if the evidence or science was supporting,” said Monarez. “And he replied that there was no science or evidence in connection with the schedule for childhood vaccine.”
Acip should meet Thursday and Friday in the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.
kennedy Said in front of a separate Senate Committee At the beginning of this month, he demanded that the CDC scientists from Monarez Fire Career did not say that he should accept the recommendations of the vaccine advisory committee without further review.
“I asked her that she made an explanation that she would not register and I wanted to clarify it,” said Kennedy at the time. “I told her I didn’t want her to play a role if she didn’t want to register.”
Vaccination security in question
Monarez said that the undermining of vaccine security will lead to an escalate in avoidable diseases, some of which have long -term or even lifelong consequences for the health of children.
“I think we will harm our children for things that we know that they do not have to be hurt – polio, measles, diphtheria, chickenpox,” she said.
The former CDC chief Medical Officer Dr. Debra Houry informed the committee that there are significant effects if the recent members of the Advisory Board Committee for immunization practices, which were appointed by Kennedy after releasing all previous members, did not utilize strict science and data to make their recommendations.
“It will be heartbreaking,” said Houry. “I think that as far as I am concerned is that these are not harmless diseases. We have just seen the case in California of a small child who died of encephalitis years after measles. These diseases have long -term consequences and in the United States we went so far. We don’t want our children to die.”
Hour was one From several CDC A shooter opened the fire At the headquarters of the CDC he killed a police officer.
Both Monarez and Houry said in response to a question from the Democratic Senator of Connecticut, Chris Murphy, that confusion about vaccines and CDC recommendations had real consequences.
“I myself was exposed to threats,” said Monarez. “And I am very concerned that the further publication of misleading information will not only undermine the safety and health of our children, but will also exacerbate some of these tensions – the willingness to pay damage if someone is insulted by the conviction that the people who help us to help us actually do not help you.”
Houry informed the committee that the shooter had fired about 500 laps, with about 180 of whom the building met.
“Every ball was intended for one person, and each of my employees was very traumatized afterwards,” said Houry. “I had employees who covered their children in the parking lot for care. There were people who were on the ride, when balls went over their heads. I have many who did not talk about vaccines and have rejected their names from the newspapers.
“Did we do something wrong?”
Bill Cassidy, Chairman of the Help Committee, R-La.
He also expressed concerns that Monarez was released in the role after less than a month, even though she was nominated by Trump, confirmed by the Senate and Kennedy while she swung her in the fact that she had “incontestable scientific references”.
“We as senators have to ask ourselves, did we see something over? Did we do something wrong?” Said Cassidy. “It may be that we have not done anything wrong. In this case, Dr. Monarez and Dr. Houry are concerned that they prove that the criticism oriented by the secretary is not true.”
Cassidy later added that “it may be impossible to learn who says the truth.”
Vermont Independent Senator Bernie Sanders, a ranking member of the committee, said the decision of the Trump government to release Monarez after less than one month in the role of the CDC director, “,” she refused to act as a rubber stamp in order to impose the perilous agenda of the secretary Kennedy, in order to utilize the utilize of safe and sound and effective vaccines, who endanger the life of American people and the people in the world.
Sanders expressed concerns that the loss of career officers on the CDC and other federal health agencies could hinder the country by combating illness in the coming months and years.
Confusion about whether Monarez was recorded
There were some unpleasant moments in the hearing, in addition to the sedate discussion about the approach of the Trump government on public health.
After the Republican Senator of Florida, Ashley Moody, in her five minutes of questions that Monarez had talked to Cassidy about her shooting, mentioned twice, which implied that this was somehow inappropriate.
Cassidy then gave a long statement and clarified the recording.
“As chairman of the committee with responsibility for the CDC, which Dr. Monarez reported positively as CDC director, it is completely appropriate for someone with supervisory concerns, my office, me or me or frankly,” said Cassidy. “After receiving Dr. Monarez, I contacted both the secretary and the White House to inquire what happened and to express concerns about the alleged concerns. As soon as the director was released, the Help Committee began to check the situation, as this was carried out in our responsibility and all communication with the witnesses with the help of personnel responsibility in cooperation with lawyers.”
Another somewhat unpleasant and slightly confusing moment came after the Republican Senator of Oklahoma, Markwayne Mulllin, said to Monarez that someone had had her meeting or meeting with Kennedy.
Mullin then repeatedly questioned her memory of her conversations with Kennedy, which implied that he had a different view because he had heard of recording.
The exchange caused Cassidy to give the committee another explanation. He seemed to be a bit frustrated that someone only gave a senator on the committee of the recording that Mullin had not shared her with other members of the committee and that HHS had decided not to give the committee in response to an application for documents in connection with Monarez.
“If there is no recording, I ask Senator Mullin to ask his questions,” said Cassidy. “I will also find that I am also curious why only a senator was given and why we only hear about it now.”
A few minutes later, Cassidy announced to the listening room that Mullin reported elsewhere, that he was wrong that there was a recording of the meeting or sessions.
Monarez lawyer
Several GOP senators in the committee questioned Monarez in detail about when and why she decided to represent a legal representation and why she ultimately went with Mark Zaid, who made public explanations against Trump and his guidelines.
Monarez said that she was not aware of Zaid’s political beliefs when she hired him and did not talk to him about politics.
“I was looking for a critical advice to help myself to make sure that I understood everything and was aware of what happened and what could be next, including this hearing of the committee,” said Monarez. “Mark and I never talked about politics. I never asked him about his policy. He never asked me about my policy.”
