Houry will testify today about what led to her decision to resign from her role in the wake of Monarez’s firing as director.
According to her prepared remarks obtained by NBC News, Houry will tell the Senate committee that Kennedy’s actions have “led to a cascade of decisions which have significantly weakened and undermined CDC’s ability to do its job protecting the health of Americans.”
Houry will tell lawmakers she resigned from her position because Kennedy “repeatedly censored CDC science, politicized our processes, and stripped agency leaders of the ability to protect the health of the American people.”
She will say that Monarez and other top CDC officials “were no longer permitted to rely on their expertise — they were expected to serve as rubber stamps for the Secretary’s decisions. I could not, in good conscience, remain under those conditions.”
She also plans to warn that the U.S. is on track to see significant increases in preventable diseases and declines in health if nothing changes soon. Houry will also warn how Kennedy’s removal and replacement of the 17 voting members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel will threaten Americans’ lives.