Health
CDC director affirms Health Secretary Kennedy retains final authority over agency decisions
CDC Director Erica Schwartz will keep disagreements internal, acknowledging Secretary Kennedy holds final decision-making power, The Hill reports.
The short version
- CDC Director Erica Schwartz stated that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. holds ultimate decision-making authority over the agency.[The Hill]
- Schwartz pledged not to publicly contradict Kennedy, noting that any policy disagreements will be handled behind closed doors.[The Hill]
- The remarks follow scrutiny over Schwartz directing the CDC to exclude four Pennsylvania measles-associated deaths from official counts after Kennedy questioned them.[The Hill]
Key facts
- CDC Director Erica Schwartz stated that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. makes the final decisions as head of the department.[The Hill]
- Schwartz stated that any policy disagreements with Kennedy will occur behind closed doors and that she will not publicly contradict him.[The Hill]
- Schwartz instructed the CDC to dispute four measles-associated deaths in Pennsylvania and omit them from the agency's official national tally.[The Hill]
- Kennedy publicly characterized the Pennsylvania measles death reports as fabricated and referred to them as alleged.[The Hill]
- Pennsylvania health officials stated their measles mortality definition is modeled on standard CDC classifications for other respiratory virus deaths.[The Hill]
What remains uncertain
- The precise standard the CDC will adopt for classifying measles-related fatalities remains unresolved amid the ongoing dispute between federal officials and Pennsylvania authorities.[The Hill]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.