Congressman Hank Johnson’s statement after mass firing of CDC employees

ATLANTA – Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) released the following statement after  hundreds of employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) were abruptly fired by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was confirmed on Thursday(Feb. 12) as the new secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services under the Trump Administration.  The CDC Chamblee campus is located in Johnson’s district, while the CDC headquarters, just outside his district, employs many of his constituents.  The Trump Administration is slashing about 1,300 employees (about 10% of the workforce) at the CDC. President Trump’s cuts at the CDC, aimed at new hires and long-time staff members who were recently moved to new positions, are part of a broader effort to restructure and streamline federal government. News of the cuts reached CDC agency officials on Friday, Feb. 14, creating a sense of uncertainty for staff members of the federal agency.   Johnson’s statement is as follows: “On his first day as Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. deliberately crippled the U.S. response to threats to our public health by firing approximately 1,300 CDC employees. These cuts affected career professionals and staffers who have spent years fighting diseases and supporting our communities. He defended this decision by saying he is ‘following the Administration’s guidance and taking action to support the President’s broader efforts to restructure and streamline the federal government.’ Let me be clear: This is yet another attempt by co-Presidents Musk and Trump to slash essential services at the expense of the American people while making room for billionaire tax breaks. This is the same administration that pulled the U.S. out of the World Health Organization and the same President who once suggested injecting bleach as treatment for COVID-19. Now co- President Trump has appointed a man notorious for spreading dangerous anti-vaccine propaganda and health misinformation as the highest health official in the country. These reckless decisions not only harm the federal workers who have dedicated their careers to protecting us and serving our communities in GA-04 and metro Atlanta, but it also endangers the American public during a time of increased health concerns and looming dangers. We cannot afford to stand by as the Trump administration dismantles our public health system, leaving Americans vulnerable and putting lives on the line. Their reckless policies threaten to cripple the very infrastructure we rely on to prevent disease outbreaks, respond to health emergencies, and ensure access to care. The safety and well-being of our families should never be bartered away for political gains or billionaire tax breaks. Now more than ever, we must fight to defend the institutions that protect our health, our communities, and our future.”