More Than 1,000 Current and Former HHS Staff Call on RFK Jr to Resign

9.3.25
More than 1,000 current and former employees of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) called for Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to resign in an open letter released on Wednesday, citing what they said were actions that continue "to endanger the nation's health." The letter capped weeks of turmoil at federal public health agencies after the ouster of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director, reported resignations by senior CDC officials, and a broader petition organized by Save HHS that the group said had drawn thousands of signers. Federal public health agencies set disease-prevention policy and manage vaccine recommendations that underpin routine immunization programs and responses to outbreaks. The letter said the secretary's personnel decisions and policy moves had eroded scientific integrity and threatened the safety of the HHS workforce, raising immediate questions about the capacity of the CDC and other agencies to carry out public-health missions.

The letter asked Kennedy to resign and urged President Donald Trump and Congress to appoint a replacement should he decline. The staff letter cited a series of actions, including the facilitation of the firing of CDC Director Susan Monarez, the resignations of senior CDC leaders, the appointment of what the signees called "political ideologues" to influential public-health roles, and the rescission of COVID-19 vaccine emergency use authorizations without transparent data. The letter followed an August 8 attack at CDC headquarters in Atlanta that killed a police officer; earlier staff communications had urged the secretary to stop spreading "inaccurate health information" and to guarantee worker safety after that incident. Kennedy is scheduled to testify before the Senate Committee on Finance on Thursday, in a hearing on the administration's 2026 health-care agenda—a forum that could prompt congressional oversight or further calls for accountability.

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