Debra Houry, the former CDC chief who resigned in protest of Kennedy’s political interference, said: ‘We saw what happened to Susan.’ Stat News reported on this. “He couldn’t make personnel or policy decisions. What changed? Kennedy didn’t.”
“Disaster”
“The Washington Post” reports noted that amid the search for a new CDC director, some well-qualified candidates sought promises of autonomy to fire and hire staff and insulate science from political influence. Those candidates have not been selected, sources told the Post.
Trump announced Schwartz’s candidacy social media post on Wednesday, calling him a “STAR” and announcing his candidacy for three more positions at the agency. “These Distinguished Medical Doctors have the knowledge, experience and TOP degrees to restore the GOLD STANDARD of SCIENCE at the CDC,” he said.
Kennedy replied wrote in a more measured message: “Congratulations to Dr. Schwartz and the new CDC leadership team. I look forward to working together to restore trust, accountability, and scientific integrity at CDC so we can return it to its core mission and make America healthy again.”
Kennedy’s close anti-vaccine ally and former personal attorney Aaron Siri, meanwhile, did not catchHe said Schwartz’s leadership at the CDC would “probably be a disaster.”
“Schwartz led the nationwide Covid-19 vaccine rollout and has a long record of issuing mandates that directly violate civilian and military vaccination rights, including administering smallpox, anthrax, and influenza vaccines to US forces and disciplining those who refuse them.
“His preemptive promotion, let alone the mandate of nearly as many different vaccines, gives little hope that the CDC will objectively monitor the vaccine program…” he concluded.
