WASHINGTON ( Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Susan Monarez, recently dismissed from her post, is set to tell senators that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pressured her to approve new vaccine recommendations before any supporting scientific evidence was presented, according to testimony prepared for a Wednesday hearing.
A copy of her remarks, obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press, reveals that Kennedy issued her an ultimatum: “Preapprove” new recommendations from a controversial CDC advisory panel — one that includes medical experts skeptical of vaccine safety — or face dismissal. That panel is expected to vote later this week on updated guidelines.
Monarez, initially selected by Kennedy and nominated by former President Donald Trump, was removed only weeks into the role over policy disputes on vaccines. She will appear before the Senate’s powerful health committee to explain her dismissal.
“Even under pressure, I could not replace evidence with ideology or compromise my integrity,” her testimony reads. “Vaccine policy must be grounded in credible data, not predetermined outcomes.” She will add that she was “fired for upholding scientific integrity.”
Monarez will also testify that Kennedy directed her to dismiss several senior CDC officials without cause.
The Senate hearing will examine the impact of the turmoil at the nation’s leading public health agency, which holds authority to issue vaccine recommendations, while also giving Monarez and former Chief Medical Officer Debra Houry an opportunity to address Kennedy’s disputed claims about their final days at the CDC.
Kennedy has denied ordering “rubber-stamped” vaccine approvals, accusing Monarez of admitting she was “untrustworthy,” an allegation she has refuted through her attorney. He has, however, acknowledged in a previous hearing that he instructed Monarez to fire several top CDC officials.
The hearing comes just one day before the vaccine advisory panel meets in Atlanta for a two-day session on COVID-19, hepatitis B, and chickenpox shots. Any recommendations must be endorsed by the CDC director to take effect. Acting Director Jim O’Neill, Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services, will be responsible for that decision.
Monarez and Houry are expected to face sharp questioning from Republicans over CDC vaccine policies and COVID-19 guidance, while Democrats are likely to probe further into Kennedy’s handling of vaccine issues. The session will be chaired by Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a physician and a key vote in Kennedy’s confirmation, who has called for oversight in light of the “serious allegations” at the CDC, while stopping short of directly blaming Kennedy.
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