Coalition of Health Organizations Calls for Action
Twenty-one prominent medical and public health organizations have issued an unprecedented joint statement demanding that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. resign from his position as head of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The coalition, which includes the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the American Public Health Association, the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, and the American Academy of HIV Medicine, represents a united front of concern from the nation’s leading health authorities.
This dramatic call for resignation marks a significant escalation in the ongoing controversy surrounding Kennedy’s leadership of the federal health department. The organizations cite what they characterize as systematic efforts to “undermine science and public health,” raising alarm about the potential consequences for American lives and wellbeing.
Growing Movement from Within Government
The external pressure from medical organizations coincides with mounting internal opposition. Approximately 1,000 former and current staffers at HHS have joined the call for Kennedy’s resignation, warning that his leadership “continues to endanger the nation’s health.” This internal revolt represents an extraordinary breach in the typically nonpartisan federal health bureaucracy, signaling deep concerns among career professionals about the direction of health policy.
Concerns Over Public Health Leadership
In their formal statement, the coalition of medical organizations expressed grave concerns about the future of American public health under Kennedy’s stewardship. “We are gravely concerned that American people will needlessly suffer and die as a result of policies that turn away from sound interventions,” the Infectious Diseases Society of America wrote in the letter signed by all participating organizations.
The groups emphasized that their call for resignation comes “after careful consideration” and is motivated by the need to “restore the integrity, credibility and science-driven mission of HHS and all its agencies.” This language underscores the severity of their concerns and the deliberate nature of their unprecedented public stance against a sitting HHS Secretary.
CDC Crisis and Leadership Upheaval
The demands for Kennedy’s resignation intensified following a tumultuous week at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The crisis began when HHS named Jim O’Neill, currently a deputy HHS secretary, as interim director to lead the CDC after Susan Monarez, Ph.D., was abruptly fired from her position at the helm of the agency.
Mass Resignations of Career Scientists
The firing of Monarez triggered a wave of protest resignations among the CDC’s top career scientists, who viewed the action as politically motivated and detrimental to the agency’s mission. These departures represent a significant loss of institutional knowledge and scientific expertise at a critical time for public health.
Bipartisan Criticism from Former CDC Directors
Nine former CDC directors, who served under both Republican and Democratic administrations, published a scathing op-ed in The New York Times condemning Kennedy’s leadership. This bipartisan condemnation carries particular weight, as it demonstrates that concerns about Kennedy’s approach transcend partisan politics and reflect genuine worries about scientific integrity and public health protection.
Kennedy responded with his own op-ed in The Wall Street Journal, asserting his focus on “restoring the CDC’s focus on infectious disease, invest[ing] in innovation, and rebuild[ing] trust through integrity and transparency.” However, his defense has done little to quell the growing chorus of criticism from health professionals and former government officials.
Political Response and Congressional Pressure
Political leaders have joined the call for Kennedy’s removal. U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, has called for the White House to fire Kennedy. Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, also published an opinion piece in The New York Times demanding Kennedy’s resignation.
The bipartisan nature of the political opposition, combined with the unprecedented coalition of medical organizations, creates significant pressure on the administration to address the ongoing crisis in health leadership.
Specific Actions Undermining Health Infrastructure
The 22 organizations detailed numerous specific actions taken by Kennedy that they claim endanger public health:
Food Safety and Disease Tracking: The groups cited reduced capacity for monitoring what infections are circulating in local communities, which healthcare providers rely upon to evaluate and protect patients. This represents a fundamental breakdown in the disease surveillance infrastructure that has protected Americans for decades.
Vaccination Programs: Organizations pointed to the decimated capacity to make evidence-based vaccine recommendations and objectively oversee vaccine safety. State and local health departments have reportedly lost expert guidance, technical support, and resources to protect communities from routine health threats.
Chronic Disease Prevention: Kennedy’s actions have allegedly weakened initiatives promoting healthy behaviors, preventive care, and community-based projects addressing chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
HIV and Infectious Disease Programs: The groups cited decisions that have reversed progress in ending the HIV epidemic, eliminating viral hepatitis, and addressing sexually transmitted infections.
Controversial Appointments
The appointment of Retsef Levi, who has opposed mRNA vaccines, to lead the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ COVID-19 work group raised significant concerns. Additionally, Kennedy’s decision to appoint David Geier, a supporter of debunked theories linking vaccines to autism, to lead an HHS investigation on vaccines and autism has alarmed the scientific community.
Employee Protests and Growing Opposition
An open letter initially signed by several hundred current and former HHS employees has now grown to 6,370 signatures, with 1,000 coming from within HHS. The letter criticizes Kennedy for “dangerous and deceitful statements and actions” that allegedly villainize public health workers and contributed to the August 8 attack on CDC headquarters.
The employees emphasized their nonpartisan commitment to science-based policies, stating: “To be clear, the HHS workforce is nonpartisan, implementing science-based policies developed under both Republican and Democratic administrations. We believe health policy should be based on strong, evidence-based principles rather than partisan politics.”
HHS Defense of Kennedy’s Tenure
In response to mounting criticism, HHS Communications Director Andrew Nixon defended Kennedy’s leadership. “Secretary Kennedy has been clear: the CDC has been broken for a long time. Restoring it as the world’s most trusted guardian of public health will take sustained reform and more personnel changes,” Nixon stated.
The communications director highlighted Kennedy’s “commitment to evidence-based science” and claimed that “in just seven months, he and the HHS team have accomplished more than any health secretary in history in the fight to end the chronic disease epidemic and Make America Healthy Again.”
However, this defense has failed to satisfy critics who point to specific policy reversals, leadership terminations, and controversial appointments as evidence of Kennedy’s unsuitability for the role.
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