Ex-CDC director says refusal led to firing, set to testify Wednesday
Susan Monarez takes part in a hearing on her nomination for Director of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention before the Seante Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Wednesday June 25, 20
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Susan Monarez is set to testify on Capitol Hill about her firing, which she says stemmed from her refusal to pre-approve recommendations from a vaccine advisory panel.
What we know:
According to prepared remarks obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press, Monarez will tell senators that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy gave her an ultimatum: either "preapprove" vaccine recommendations from a CDC advisory panel or be fired. She says the panel, which Kennedy has filled with several experts who question vaccine safety, is expected to vote on new recommendations later this week.
Monarez will appear before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, along with former CDC chief medical officer Debra Houry.
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What's next:
The hearing is expected to examine internal agency decisions during her tenure.