Chair Cassidy Delivers Remarks During Hearing on Restoring Radical Transparency at CDC, Protecting Children’s Health

I thank our witnesses for being here. This hearing is a direct response to President's Trump's call for radical transparency in how we conduct governmental affairs. And I thank Secretary Robert Kennedy for echoing that call for radical transparency in his testimony before the Senate Finance Committee

Now I approach this hearing as both a Doctor and as a Senator. And as both, I should be, but frankly I think we all should be, first and foremost, friends and allies of the American people. They are looking to us to figure out how our government works best for them. And if we look at any other agenda, we are not doing our duty to the American people. Now that was the attitude I brought advocating for my patients. I think that is the attitude we should bring as Senators towards this issue as well. And if our loyalty lies elsewhere than we fail as Senators.

As a Doctor, who treated children and families for over 25 years, I have the absolute obligation to do the best I can for the health of those I am entrusted to serve. In this case, I am, but we all are entrusted to serve the Moms and Dads, their children, their parents so that when I, or any doctor makes a recommendation to provide a lifesaving vaccine or treatment, they can reliably rely upon CDC guidance. If doctors do not have clear guidance or have reason to distrust what is coming out of the CDC, they cannot make informed decisions to protect their patients. Children's and I would say adult's health is at risk.

Now as a Senator, and this speaks directly to all of us at this table, I am focused on the fact that Dr. Monarez was the first CDC Director requiring Senate confirmation. We Republicans supported making the CDC Director Senate Confirmed. It's such an important position that we demanded a role in her or his choosing. And so part of our responsibility today is to ask ourselves, if someone is fired 29 days after every Republican votes for her, the Senate confirms her, the Secretary said at her swearing in that she has "unimpeachable scientific credentials" and the President called her "an incredible mother and dedicated public servant", like what happened? Did we fail? Was there something we should have done differently?

The Secretary in his Senate Finance testimony justified Dr. Monarez's firing by stating, "it's imperative that we remove officials with conflicts of interest and catastrophically bad judgement and political agendas. We need unbiased, politics free, transparent, evidence-based science in the public interest." If what he said is true, we as Senators need to ask ourselves, did we look past something? Did we do something wrong? It may be that we did nothing wrong, in which case, Dr. Monarez and Dr. Houry, the onus is upon you to prove that the criticisms leveled by the Secretary are not true.

Now, ultimately we all have an obligation to truth. It may be impossible to learn who is telling the truth, but this hearing is an initial step in trying to answer why the top leadership of the CDC was fired or resigned before they could be fired. Turmoil at the top of the nation's top public health agency is not good for the health of the American people.

Now I have long believed that the CDC needs reform to regain the trust of the American people. And earlier this year, I launched a working group of Senate Republicans on the topic, including Senators Paul, Murkowski, Marshall, and Scott from this committee and which has met numerous times on a staff level.

And fortunately, we have a President who has called for radical transparency in government. President Trump clearly wants to Make America Healthy Again. I thank him for that. The American people need all the facts - not a version of the facts that fits a certain narrative or agenda. And it's with this mandate from President Trump that the HELP committee is conducting this oversight.

Today, we will hear from Dr. Monarez and Dr. Houry, who have raised serious allegations that strike at the core of the CDC's credibility. These allegations need to be scrutinized and examined thoroughly through an impartial lens.

I am also inviting HHS officials at a later point, including Secretary Kennedy, to speak with the Committee and refute anything which is said today. This is how we achieve President Trump's goal of radical transparency - giving Americans the full picture so they can judge for themselves.

This is not about politics; this is about protecting children's health and rebuilding trust in institutions. I want President Trump to have the best CDC in our nation's history. I want to work with the President to fulfill his campaign promise to reform the CDC and Make America Healthy Again.

The President says radical transparency is the way to do that. This hearing is one step closer to delivering President Trump's mission.

And with that, I recognize Senator Sanders.

For all news and updates from HELP Republicans, visit our websiteor Twitterat @GOPHELP.