ATLANTA — Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez is scheduled to testify before lawmakers on Capitol Hill next Wednesday following her abrupt departure from the Atlanta-based agency.
Monarez was forced out less than a month into her tenure after clashing with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over public health policy. She has accused Kennedy of undermining vaccine protections and pushing changes not based on science.
She will be joined at the hearing by Dr. Debra Houry, another top CDC official who resigned shortly after Monarez’s exit. Both are expected to tell senators about what they describe as growing political interference inside the agency.
The hearing was announced by Sen. Bill Cassidy, who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Cassidy said Americans need reassurance that children’s health remains a top priority, adding that “radical transparency” is the only way to restore confidence in public health.
WSB’s Jennifer Perry contributed to this story
