Search Results: cdc
Cassidy Urges CDC to Reject ACIPâs New Hepatitis B Recommendation
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met earlier this month for their final meeting of the year. During their meeting, ACIP voted in favor (8-3) of reversing the recommendation that the Hepatitis B vaccine be administered to children at birth regardless of if the mother is negative for the virus or doesnât know their status. A recording of the meeting is available here and the recommendation is expected to be posted here. Before the meeting took place, Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Chair Bill Cassidy (R-LA), who served as a physician prior to…
Fired CDC Director Testifies in Front of Congress
On September 17, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee invited Dr. Susan Monarez, the recently terminated Director of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to testify in front of the committee on Restoring Trust Through Radical Transparency: Reviewing Recent Events at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Implications for Childrenâs Health. As previously reported by COSSA, Dr. Monarez was publicly terminated by the Trump Administration for allegedly refusing to pre-approve recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) after concerns that the committee was not properly reviewing research and data (read more in her op-ed…
HHS Secretary Kennedy on the Presidentâs 2026 Health Care Agenda and CDC Leadership Shakeup
On September 4, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared before the Senate Finance Committee to address the Presidentâs 2026 health care agenda. Several members of the Committee used the opportunity to question Secretary Kennedy on the recent termination of Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Susan Monarez and the Administrationâs vaccine policy and recommendations, as well as their priorities for improving rural health. In their opening remarks, Senator Crapo (R-ID), Chairman of the Finance Committee, expressed his support for Secretary Kennedyâs leadership of HHS, noting the Secretaryâs commitment to ending âwaste, fraud, and abuse in…
CDC Director Fired After Clash with HHS Secretary Kennedy Over Vaccines
On August 28, Director Susan Monarez was fired by the Trump Administration. Monarez, who was confirmed to the role in July after serving as Acting Director since January, came under scrutiny by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (see previous COSSA coverage). The New York Times reported that she clashed with Secretary Kennedy over vaccine policy, and her removal was later confirmed by the agency in a social media post. At least three other CDC officials have resigned following her termination. A statement published on Twitter by Monarezâs lawyers claimed the dismissal was illegal and politically motivated, stating: âFirst it was independent advisory…
Senate Holds Confirmation Hearing for CDC Director
On Wednesday, June 25, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) held a nomination hearing to consider Dr. Susan Monarez as Director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). This comes after the previous nominee was pulled just hours by the Administration before their first hearing (previous COSSA coverage). Prior to her nomination, Dr. Monarez served as the acting Director of the CDC from January to March 2025 and the Deputy Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). During the hearing, Dr. Monarez faced extensive questioning about her priorities and goals for the agency if…
ICYMI: Trump Nominates Susan Monarez to Lead CDC
Earlier this month, President Trump nominated Dr. Susan Monarez to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Monarez, who holds a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has been serving as the acting Director of the CDC following the departure of Dr. Mandy Cohen. As COSSA previously reported, President Trump initially nominated Dr. David Weldon for the role only to abruptly withdraw the nomination hours before his first Senate confirmation hearing. Previously, Monarez served as the deputy director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) and has held roles at the White House of Office of…
NIH Director Nominee, Dr. Bhattacharya, Voted Through HELP Committee; CDC Nomination Pulled
On March 13, the nomination of Dr. Jay Bhattacharya advanced through the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee in a 12-11 vote along party lines, overcoming the first hurdle for being confirmed as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director (see previous COSSA coverage). The next step is a confirmation vote by the full Senate, which has not yet been scheduled. During his confirmation hearing on March 5, Bhattacharya stated an intent to refocus NIHâs research efforts on addressing chronic diseases, aligning with Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, as well as investing in cutting…
Mandy Cohen to be Named Next CDC Director
On June 16, the President announced his intention to appoint Dr. Mandy Cohen as the next Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Cohen will replace Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the current Director who has been serving since 2020. Cohen is expected to start in July; the CDC Director does not currently require Senate confirmation. In the release announcing the appointment, President Biden stated, âDr. Cohen is one of the nationâs top physicians and health leaders with experience leading large and complex organizations, and a proven track-record protecting Americansâ health and safety⊠Dr. Cohen has been recognized by leaders from…
House LHHS Subcommittee Holds Budget and Oversight Hearing on NIH, CDC, and ASPR
On April 19, the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education (LHHS) Appropriations Subcommittee held a budget and oversight hearing on the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) fiscal year (FY). Testifying about the Administrationâs fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget requests for their respective agencies were Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Director of CDC; the Honorable Dawn OâConnell, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response of ASPR; and Dr. Lawrence Tabak, Acting Director of NIH. Chairman Robert B. Aderholt (R-AL) expressed concerns over the Presidentâs budget request (see COSSAâs…
HHS Bypasses CDC in COVID-19 Data Collection, Sparking Concerns
On July 10, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released new guidance that instructed hospitals to bypass the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in reporting COVID-19 data and instead send the information directly to the Department through a relatively new system called HHS Protect. The change has raised concerns among many public health and science stakeholder groups that it could signal an effort to sideline the CDC in responding to the pandemic and to limit the data available to the public. Prior to the change, hospitals submitted COVID-19 information to the CDCâs National Healthcare Safety Network…
COSSA Submits Testimony to Senate in Support of Funding for NIH, CDC, ED, BLS
As it does each year, COSSA submitted outside witness testimony to the Congressional Appropriations subcommittees responsible for funding federal agencies important to the social sciences. On June 3, COSSA submitted testimony to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies calling for increased fiscal year (FY) 2020 funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Institute for Education Sciences (IES), and International Education and Foreign Language Programs (Title VI and…
House Committee Approves FY 2020 Spending for NIH, CDC, BLS, AHRQ, ED
On May 8, the House Appropriations Committee approved its fiscal year (FY) 2020 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) Appropriations Bill; the Labor-HHS Subcommittee advanced the bill on April 30. This bill contains annual funding proposals for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Education (ED), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), among other federal departments and agencies. In a departure from what has become regular practice, the Labor-HHS bill was one of the first out the gate this year; the…
COSSA Senate Testimony Calls for Funding for NIH, AHRQ, CDC, Education Programs
On June 2, COSSA submitted testimony to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies for fiscal year (FY) 2018. The testimony calls for increased funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Institute for Education Sciences (IES), and International Education and Foreign Language Programs (Title VI and Fulbright-Hays). Back to this issueâs table of contents.