CDC workers walk out, join former employees in protest calling on RFK Jr. to resign

Current and former employees of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are calling on Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to resign, warning that job cuts and proposed funding reductions will hurt the agency's ability to protect the public from future health outbreaks.Why it matters: The Atlanta-based CDC has long been the unbiased hub Americans turn to for facts about health topics, including sexually transmitted infections, maternal and infant health and respiratory infections. Driving the news: Dozens of current employees at the facility walked out in protest of the cuts and joined people rallying in support of the department, with some carrying a large U.S. flag.Tuesday's protest attracted more than 100 people who packed the sidewalk along Clifton Road across from the CDC's headquarters. HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said in an emailed statement, "These reactions only prove Secretary Kennedy is doing exactly what he was brought in to do: challenge the failed culture that has dominated public health for decades."What they're saying: Sarah Boim, a member of Fired But Fighting, a grassroots group of former CDC employees who were terminated this year, told Axios the organization holds rallies each Tuesday in support of people who still work at the agency."It's really hard to put into words how horrible this experience has been, not just for us, but it's going to really affect everybody in America," she said.Eric Mintz, another former CDC employee, told Axios proposed cuts to the CDC, National Institutes for Health, Food and Drug Administration and Medicaid will take away resources needed to protect people from illnesses."It's not waste, it's not abuse, it's not fraud," Mintz said. "It's hard-working people with expertise trying to protect the American citizens." Current and former CDC employees read the oath they take when they join the federal government. Photo: Kristal Dixon/AxiosCatch up quick: The Health and Human Services Department in March announced about 2,400 positions would be eliminated from the CDC. HHS has said reducing its workforce from 82,000 to 62,000 full-time employees will cut costs from the agency's nearly $2 trillion budget.On Monday, Kennedy removed all 17 members from the expert panel that makes vaccine policy recommendations to the CDC. He said in a statement the agency is "prioritizing the restoration of public trust above any specific pro- or anti-vaccine agenda."Questions are still being raised on who runs the CDC, as there is no public health official or designated point person leading the agency.State of play: Trump's fiscal year 2026 budget also recommends cutting $3.59 billion from the CDC.The budget, which was approved by the U.S. House, is still lingering in the U.S. Senate.Threat level: Anna Yousaf, an infectious diseases doctor at the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, called Kennedy a "domestic health threat" who has dismantled programs ranging from lead poisoning prevention to maternal and infant health monitoring."Medical, scientific, academic and public health institutions cannot be silent in the face of these threats to the health of our communities," Yousaf said at the rally.Go deeper: Questions swirl over who's running the CDCEditor's note: This article has been updated with comment from HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon.

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