More than 1,000 current and former employees of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have signed a letter calling for HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to resign. The employees cited Kennedy’s recent ousting of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director Susan Monarez, as well as allegations that he has been appointing individuals with political affiliations to positions of authority within the agency. The letter, which was shared widely across social media platforms, asserts that health policy should be based on strong, evidence-based principles rather than partisan politics. It further states that under Kennedy’s leadership, HHS policies have placed the health of all Americans at risk, regardless of their political views.
‘We believe health policy should be based in strong, evidence-based principles rather than partisan politics. But under Secretary Kennedy’s leadership, HHS policies are placing the health of all Americans at risk, regardless of their politics,’ the letter states. It urges the President and U.S. Congress to appoint a new Secretary of Health and Human Services if Kennedy declines to resign, emphasizing that leadership must prioritize the well-being of the American people.
Several senior officials at the CDC, including Monarez, have resigned in protest over Kennedy’s actions. Monarez was fired last week by the Trump administration after she refused to comply with instructions to implement new limitations on the availability of some vaccines, including for emergency use authorizations of COVID-19 vaccines. The move has sparked bipartisan outrage, with lawmakers from both major parties calling for an investigation into the justification for her removal.
A number of public health experts and medical professionals have since voiced their concerns over the implications of Kennedy’s firing of Monarez. Many have argued that his policies threaten the credibility of public health initiatives and may jeopardize the trust of the American people in critical health measures. In response, the Trump administration has defended Monarez’s ouster, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt asserting that the president has the authority to terminate leaders who are not aligned with his mission.
While the letter demanding Kennedy’s resignation has been widely circulated, it is unclear how the administration will respond. The White House has yet to make an official statement on the matter, though several senior advisors have expressed their support for Kennedy’s leadership and the changes he has implemented at the CDC and HHS. The controversy has also drawn scrutiny from the media, with several outlets analyzing the implications of the resignations and the potential impact on public health initiatives in the United States.