Editorial Board
RFK Jr.’s Vision for the CDC Should Alarm Congress
The latest exodus of experts will put American lives at risk.
Can any serious scientist work for him?
Photographer: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Susan Monarez’s 28-day tenure as the nation’s top public-health official was doomed from the start. Her boss, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., wanted her to do two things: champion his dubious anti-vaccine agenda and uphold “gold-standard science” at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recognizing the conflict, Monarez chose the latter and was fired last month.
Monarez’s departure from the CDC highlights a dilemma that any successor will face: Under Kennedy, no serious scientist can hold the job. The risk this vacuum of expertise could pose to Americans’ health and safety is significant.