In a significant move, more than 1,000 current and former federal health workers have called for the resignation of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday. These health professionals are warning that Kennedy's actions are jeopardizing the nation's health. This demand highlights a growing staff revolt against Kennedy, whose leadership has coincided with turmoil at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the body responsible for overseeing the federal government's extensive public health infrastructure.
Kennedy's recent actions include the controversial ousting of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director Susan Monarez late last month. This dismissal was followed by the resignation of four senior leaders at the agency, who stepped down in protest against Kennedy’s leadership. In a surprising turn, Kennedy appointed Jim O'Neill, a Silicon Valley investor known for advocating unproven COVID treatments, as the acting CDC director.
The federal health workers expressed their concerns in a letter addressed not only to Secretary Kennedy but also to members of Congress and the President. They explicitly stated, "We warn the President, Congress, and the Public that Secretary Kennedy's actions are compromising the health of this nation." They further demanded Kennedy's resignation, asserting that if he refuses to step down, both President Trump and lawmakers should appoint a new secretary with the necessary qualifications to ensure that health policy is guided by independent and unbiased peer-reviewed science.
In response to the growing criticism, Kennedy defended his leadership in a Wall Street Journal op-ed published on Tuesday. He claimed that his changes are aimed at restoring trust in the CDC, which he argues was lost during the COVID pandemic. Kennedy stated, "Most CDC rank-and-file staff are honest public servants. Under this renewed mission, they can do their jobs as scientists without bowing to politics."
In a separate letter shared last month, federal workers urged Kennedy to stop disseminating inaccurate health information and to uphold the CDC's non-partisan and scientific integrity. They emphasized the need to ensure the safety of the HHS workforce, especially following a violent attack on the CDC's Atlanta headquarters that resulted in the death of a police officer. The gunman reportedly blamed the COVID vaccine for his health problems.
Following the letter from federal workers, HHS stated that any attempts to link widely accepted public health reforms with the violence of a suicidal mass shooter are efforts to politicize a tragedy.
In a related development, nine former CDC directors expressed their concerns about the escalating threats to public health due to the Trump administration’s policies. In a guest essay published in the New York Times, they criticized Kennedy's decision to fire Monarez and the subsequent departures of other agency leaders. They warned that these actions would significantly hinder the CDC's ability to fulfill its mission. "During our respective CDC tenures, we did not always agree with our leaders, but they never gave us reason to doubt that they would rely on data-driven insights for our protection," they wrote.
As the new acting CDC director, Jim O'Neill's appointment raises questions about the future direction of the agency. Health officials and the public are keen to see how his leadership will impact public health policies and the agency's credibility moving forward.
