HHS Secretary RFK Jr. Under Fire: Over 1,000 Staffers Demand Ouster Ahead of Senate Testimony

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is embroiled in a major crisis, with over 1,000 current and former employees publicly demanding the resignation or firing of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. An open letter, released yesterday, accuses Kennedy of “endangering the nation’s health” and points to a recent wave of upheaval at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

This unprecedented call for Kennedy’s removal intensifies a tumultuous period for the agency. Last week, CDC Director Susan Monarez was controversially fired, prompting several other top CDC officials to resign in protest. These departures are reportedly linked to changes in the vaccine approval system, spearheaded by Kennedy, a known vaccine skeptic, and what critics describe as the elevation of “political ideologues” to key scientific roles.

Secretary Kennedy is scheduled to face intense scrutiny today as he testifies before the Senate Finance Committee, where he is expected to address the widespread concerns. The White House confirmed Monarez’s firing last week, with her lawyers asserting she was “targeted” for refusing to endorse “unscientific, reckless directives.” Separately, nine former CDC directors published a New York Times op-ed earlier this week, sharply criticizing Kennedy’s decisions as “unlike anything we had ever seen at the agency.”

HHS Communications Director Andrew Nixon has defended Kennedy’s tenure, stating he is working to restore trust in a “broken” CDC and has achieved significant progress in just seven months. However, the controversy extends to Kennedy’s earlier actions this year, including the ousting of an entire CDC panel responsible for vaccine recommendations, replaced in some instances by individuals known for questioning vaccine safety. Meanwhile, Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, who chairs the Senate health committee, has indicated that the resignations will “require oversight,” adding to the pressure on the embattled Secretary.

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