Practically 1,000 Well being and Human Providers staffers on Wednesday signed an open letter accusing the company’s secretary of endangering the nation’s well being and the company itself by spreading misinformation that led a violent gunman to attack the CDC’s headquarters earlier this month.
“The violent August eighth assault on CDC’s headquarters in Atlanta was not random,” the letter, which is addressed to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Members of the U.S. Congress, reads.
“The assault got here amid rising distrust in public establishments, pushed by politicized rhetoric that has turned public well being professionals from trusted consultants into targets of villainization —and now, violence.”
A lot of that rhetoric has come from RFK Jr. himself, they argue, saying he’s “complicit” in dismantling America’s public well being infrastructure and has for years unfold inaccurate well being data that undermines the work of the very company he leads.
The gunman who fired 500 bullets on the CDC, killing a police officer and shattering a whole lot of home windows, blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for making him depressed and suicidal, legislation enforcement officers mentioned.
But RFK Jr. has refused to acknowledge that misinformation played a role within the violence or take possession for his function in spreading it.
“We don’t know sufficient about what the motive was of this particular person,” he mentioned after the taking pictures, “however individuals can ask questions with out being penalized.”
Kennedy has beforehand referred to as the CDC a “cesspool of corruption,” and lied about the efficacy of mRNA vaccines through the COVID-19 pandemic ― and their promise for future remedies, for which he’s canceled research funding.
The letter closes with three asks of Secretary Kennedy:
Cease spreading inaccurate well being data: Stop and publicly disavow the continued dissemination of false and deceptive claims about vaccines, infectious illness transmission, and America’s public well being establishments.
Affirm CDC’s scientific integrity: Acknowledge and affirm that CDC’s work is rooted in scientific, non-partisan proof targeted on enhancing the well being of each American.
Assure the protection of the HHS workforce: Be certain that the HHS workforce can perform its duties in an atmosphere free from imminent threats of hurt. This could embody emergency procedures and alerts which can be absolutely useful for all staff and taking vigorous motion to take away high-profile on-line materials concentrating on the federal workforce such because the broadly seen “DEI watchlists.”
In an emailed assertion to HuffPost, the U.S. Division of Well being and Human Providers accused its workers of politicizing a tragedy, but failed to deal with the core factors of their open letter.
“Secretary Kennedy is standing firmly with CDC workers—each on the bottom and throughout each middle—making certain their security and well-being stay a prime precedence,” the assertion learn. “Within the wake of this heartbreaking taking pictures, he traveled to Atlanta to supply his help and reaffirm his deep respect, calling the CDC ‘a shining star amongst world well being companies.’”
The assertion continued, “Any try and conflate broadly supported public well being reforms with the violence of a suicidal mass shooter is an try and politicize a tragedy.”
Jerome Adams, who served as U.S. surgeon common in President Donald Trump’s first administration, has additionally been sharply vital of RFK Jr’s dealing with of the taking pictures.
Adams told CBS’ “Face the Nation” there’s no query Kennedy’s previous feedback might result in violence.
“Whereas I don’t know Secretary Kennedy personally, and I don’t wish to make assertions about his character, I’ll say, primarily based on his actions and his rhetoric, he’s fanning the flames that result in conditions like we noticed on the CDC,” he mentioned.
