Republican senators split over fired CDC director

Published September 17, 2025 3:06pm ET



The firing of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director split GOP members of the Senate health committee on Wednesday, dividing them over whether President Donald Trump’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda has gone too far on concerns over vaccine safety. 

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-LA) called the hearing for the ousted director, Susan Monarez, to testify in the name of “radical transparency,” but some Republicans accused her of being dishonest about the circumstances of her departure. 

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