The White House is defending Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr after a chaotic week at the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that led to calls for his removal.
On Friday, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller called Kennedy, also known as RFK Jr, “a crown jewel of this administration”.
Earlier this week, CDC Chief Dr Susan Monarez was fired because she was “not aligned with the president’s agenda”, the White House said in a statement, and was replaced by RFK Jr’s deputy Jim O’Neill.
At least three senior CDC leaders have since resigned over frustrations about Kennedy’s leadership and vaccine policy. The unease led to some lawmakers calling for his resignation.
Miller called Kennedy “one of the world’s foremost voices, advocates and experts on public health”, and said he is working hard to restore the credibility and the integrity of CDC, which is one of the world’s most foremost public health bodies.
Kennedy does not hold a medical degree and had a background in law before Trump tapped him to lead the department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The department oversees a variety of US health agencies, including the CDC.
The BBC reached out to HHS and representatives for Kennedy.
The recent turmoil follows the CDC permanently firing 600 employees earlier this month, according to a union representing the workers.
The wide-ranging layoffs include employees working on the government’s response to infectious diseases, including bird flu, as well as those researching environmental hazards and handling public record requests for information.
Since taking office, Kennedy, a vaccine critic, has made a number of funding cuts and changes to how the US recommends and regulates immunizations that have angered public health experts.
He previously helped run an anti-vaccine group, and has repeatedly stated widely debunked claims about vaccine harm.
Former CDC Chief Medical Officer Dr Debra Houry, one of the officials who resigned this week, told the BBC’s Newshour radio programme that Kennedy’s policies lacked scientific integrity.
“I am extremely worried that with continued resignations, terminations, retirements, all because of what’s going on through some of these policies, that we are not going to have the capacity to continue to do good science, to respond to an outbreak and to prevent chronic diseases,” she said.
She added that the worst case result of Kennedy’s policies is the disruption of the vaccine schedule for children, which could lead to the spread of “preventable diseases throughout the US again, like polio and measles.”
Several Democrat senators have called for Kennedy’s resignation, including Georgia’s Jon Ossoff – who called the health secretary a “quack” – and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
“Donald Trump knew Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would be a disastrous pick to lead health care in America and he nominated him anyway. Donald Trump made this mistake and now he must fire RFK Jr. immediately,” Schumer said in a written statement.
Several Republicans also expressed unease over the developments at the CDC, with Maine Senator Susan Collins saying there was “no basis” to remove Monarez from her position. She asked for a congressional hearing to examine what is happening at the agency.
Fellow Republican senator Bill Cassidy, who leads the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee – which vetted Kennedy’s appointment – said the panel would conduct oversight over the high-profile departures.
He also urged a delay on a vaccine advisory committee hearing scheduled for next month, saying there were allegations that the panel lacked a “scientific process”.
“If the meeting proceeds, any recommendations made should be rejected as lacking legitimacy given the seriousness of the allegations and the current turmoil in CDC leadership,” he said.
Robert F Kennedy Jr wrote an open letter to CDC employees after the removal of Monarez and the departure of several top officials, according to US media.
“I am committed to working with you to restore trust, transparency, and credibility to the CDC. Your daily efforts—often unseen—save lives,” he wrote.
“Reform does not diminish your work; it strengthens it. The American people are ready to believe in this agency again if we show them that integrity, accountability, and science guide every decision,” Kennedy added.
The health secretary also said that he wants to rebuild the CDC into “a guardian of America’s health and security.”
