More than 1,000 individuals currently employed or formerly associated with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have issued a letter dated September 3, calling for the resignation of Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The release of this disquieting letter follows a wave of contention surrounding Secretary Kennedy’s department, particularly as a result of recent events such as reductions in mRNA vaccine funding and a disagreement that led to the termination of Susan Monarez, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by the White House.
The communication, penned on September 3 and directed towards Kennedy and Congress, culminates with an alarming claim that the Secretary’s conduct perpetuates a threat to the nation’s health. The authors declare their bound duty to voice concerns when they perceive the constitution to be violated and when they feel the health of the American people is at risk. Thus, they unequivocally warn both the President and Congress, as well as the public, that Secretary Kennedy’s actions are detrimental to the nation’s health and call for his immediate resignation.
In the event that Kennedy does not resign, the letter urges Congress and President Trump to consider the appointment of a new HHS Secretary. The suggested replacement should ideally possess the qualifications and experience necessary to ensure that health policy decisions are based on impartial, peer-reviewed scientific research, rather than political biases or personal views.
The declarants of this letter argue that numerous actions taken under Kennedy’s leadership have undermined public health. Among these, they include new restrictions imposed by the Food and Drug Administration on COVID-19 vaccinations. Besides, they also point to the dismissal of Monarez, and the subsequent resignations of high-ranking CDC officials that followed as further evidence of mismanagement under Secretary Kennedy.
The authors express a belief in formulating health policies based on robust, evidence-backed principles, rather than partisan motives. However, they allege that under Kennedy’s stewardship, HHS implementations have jeopardised the health of all American citizens, irrespective of their political inclinations.
An independent assortment of former leaders from the CDC added to the chorus of dissent by writing an op-ed that lambasts Kennedy’s actions as unparalleled in the history of the country. This outcry for Kennedy’s removal from his position comes in the wake of a similar protest that transpired on August 20 when over 800 present and former HHS staff penned a letter expressing their discomfort with national health strategies.
In their August letter, the disgruntled HHS workers alluded to a heightened sense of anxiety following the tragic shooting occurrence at the CDC’s main offices. Despite the growing chorus of dissent against Kennedy’s leadership, the stance of the Trump administration remained unwavering in their support for Kennedy’s job performance up to that point.
Stephen Miller, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff for policy, has expressed continued public support for Kennedy. He commended the Secretary as a standout administrator in the current government who is ceaselessly committed to ameliorating public health for all US citizens. His sentiments seem to echo throughout the Trump administration despite the recent controversies.
Aside from Miller’s words of support, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also stepped forward to defend the removal of Monarez. She argued that it was the democratically-elected President Trump, not the unelected Monarez, who had the constitutional authority to dismiss those who diverged from his vision.
Leavitt’s argument was grounded in the outcome of the November 5 elections where President Trump was resoundingly returned to office. She stressed that Monarez, unlike President Trump, had not faced a ballot or received a vote, thus emphasizing the President’s prerogative to dismiss employees misaligned with his administration’s objectives.
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