Sep 9, 2025 - Health

Ex-CDC chief to testify in Senate in 1st public appearance since firing

Rebecca Falconer

Susan Monarez, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, wearing long, gray hair past her shoulders, black, circular glasses, a gray jacket and black top, looks as she speaks at a Senate hearing. — Susan Monarez, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, during a June Senate hearing in Washington, D.C. Photo: Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Former CDC director Susan Monarez will testify before the Senate next week in her first public appearance since the Trump administration fired her.

Why it matters: The hearing before the Senate's health committee could shed light on the tumultuous days leading up to her August exit, which saw several other top CDC officials resign.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. accused Monarez of lying after she wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that she was fired for refusing to endorse vaccine recommendations not supported by science.

The big picture: Monarez and former CDC chief medical officer Debra Houry, who was among those to resign last month, will testify on Sept. 17 "about the recent high-profile departures from the agency," per a Tuesday statement from the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.

"The Committee is also planning to invite current officials at the Department of Health and Human Services to respond by speaking with Committee members at a future hearing," the statement added.
Monarez was confirmed as CDC director on July 29 and fired on Aug. 27 after the White House said she refused to resign.

What they're saying: "Children's health must be the top priority. I thank President Trump and Secretary Kennedy for making radical transparency a priority," said Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), chair of the Senate's health committee, in a statement.

"To protect children's health, Americans need to know what has happened and is happening at the CDC. They need to be reassured that their child's health is given priority. Radical transparency is the only way to do that."

Go deeper: Ousted CDC director: This "isn't reform. It is sabotage."

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Ex-CDC chief to testify in Senate in 1st public appearance since firing

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