Rep. Watson Coleman Denounces Firing of CDC Director, Calls for removal of HHS Secretary Kennedy
Today, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) released the following statement upon news that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy, Jr. had fired CDC Director Susan Monarez, less than four weeks after her confirmation. In addition, At least four top CDC officials announced their resignations, including Dr. Debra Houry, the Chief Medical Officer; Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases; Dr. Daniel Jernigan, the Director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases; and Dr. Jen Layden, Director of the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance and Technology.
“The firing of the Director of the CDC, as well as the resignations of four other senior CDC officials, are indications of the grave danger Secretary Kennedy represents to the country. The conspiracy theories and medical quackery the Secretary promotes put Americans at risk and threaten American greatness in the field of public health.
“This constitutes an emergency. American lives are in jeopardy. I will be introducing a privileged resolution calling for an emergency declaration and taking immediate legislative action calling for the removal of Secretary Kennedy.
“As Dr. Daskalakis wrote in his resignation letter, ‘Their desire to please a political base will result in death and disability of vulnerable children and adults. Their base should be the people they serve not a political voting bloc.’”