Director of CDC Fired for Refusing to Terminate Employees Without Cause

At a hearing before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Susan Monarez, testified that she was fired for refusing to terminate career employees without cause. According to Monarez, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert Kennedy, Jr. demanded that she fire career employees responsible for vaccine policy, which she refused to do. Monarez further testified that Secretary Kennedy "went on to tell Monarez she would need to continue firing career staff until officials were in place who would sign off on Kennedy’s preferred outcomes."