Hundreds of former and current staff of the United States Health and Human Services, on Wednesday, called on President Donald Trump to fire HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. if he refuses to resign.
The 1,040 signers of a letter addressed to Kennedy Jr. and the U.S. Congress members slammed the Secretary for his persistent opposition to vaccines, and alleged politicization of appointments and policies.
The health workers from 14 agencies worked/work for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).
The list also includes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and National Institutes of Health (NIH), among others.
Last week’s sack of CDC director Susan Monarez caused the resignations of Dr. Daniel Jernigan, ex-director, Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases; Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, ex-director, Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases; and Dr Debra Houry, ex-director, Center for Injury Prevention and Control.
In their letter, the petitioners recalled that after the “August 8th attack” on the CDC, over 750 HHS employees wrote to Kennedy, urging him to affirm the agency’s scientific integrity, guarantee staff safety, and stop spreading inaccurate information.
They said that since the letter became public on August 20th, and despite the number of signatories surging to 6,370, including 887 from the HHS, the Secretary “continues to endanger” Americans’ health with his actions.
Kennedy is accused of appointing “political ideologues who pose as scientific experts”, including Retsef Levi, who “opposes” mRNA vaccines; Robert Malone, who “made claims” on COVID-19 and measles; and David Geier, who “supported theories” linking vaccines to autism.
The Secretary is also accused of rescinding the FDA’s authorizations for COVID-19 vaccines, refusing to be briefed by CDC experts on vaccine-preventable diseases, and shunning a presidential order on transparent science.
Other alleged infractions include “disparaging” the American Academy of Pediatrics for recommending the COVID-19 vaccine for children, dismissing evidence-based vaccine guidance, and disregarding the HHS workforce through verbal attacks.
Noting that the HHS workforce is tasked with implementing science-based policies developed under both Republican and Democratic administrations, the petitioners want health policy based on principles rather than partisan politics.
“We warn the President, Congress, and the public that Secretary Kennedy’s actions are compromising the health of this nation, and we demand Secretary Kennedy’s resignation,” the letter reads.
Should Kennedy decline to resign, the workers urged President Trump and the U.S. Congress to appoint a new HHS Secretary who has the qualifications and experience to ensure that health policy is based on independent and unbiased peer-reviewed science.
