Susan Monarez, the former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, testified Wednesday that she was forced out of her position last month after refusing Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s demands to pre-approve vaccine recommendations and dismiss career scientists.
“Even under pressure, I could not replace evidence with ideology,” Monarez told the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. “Vaccine policy should be guided by evidence and credible science.”
Her testimony came as the committee examined the resignations of top CDC officials and the broader impact of changes under Kennedy. Monarez disputed Kennedy’s claims that she was dismissed for being “untrustworthy,” calling his statements misleading.
Monarez described escalating tensions with Kennedy, including an August meeting where she said he told her the childhood vaccine schedule “would be changing starting in September” and insisted she support the plan.
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Senator Bill Cassidy, the Republican chair of the committee and a physician, opened the hearing by noting Monarez was the first CDC director ever confirmed by the Senate and had received unanimous Republican support. When sworn in, Kennedy himself had praised her “unimpeachable scientific credentials.” Cassidy asked whether Congress had failed by not foreseeing the conflict.
Dr. Deb Houry, the CDC’s former chief medical officer who resigned along with other top leaders last month, also testified in protest of the changes. The hearing came one day before the vaccine advisory committee’s scheduled meeting in Atlanta.
Kennedy dismissed all 17 members of that panel in June and has since appointed replacements, including several who have been openly critical of vaccines. On Monday, he named five additional members.
Monarez also recalled Kennedy directing her to return to Washington after the August 8 shooting at CDC headquarters in Atlanta, even though that meant missing the memorial service for a slain officer. She said she refused.
During their final meeting on August 25, Monarez said Kennedy demanded she provide blanket pre-approval of the advisory panel’s upcoming vaccine recommendations and told her to resign if she would not comply. “He just wanted blanket approval,” she testified.
Monarez added that Kennedy told her he had already spoken with the White House several times about removing her.
