• Over 1,000 HHS employees demand Secretary RFK Jr. resign for compromising public health.
• The call follows the ousting of CDC Director Susan Monarez and other senior officials.
• Employees cite concerns over Kennedy's health policies and political appointments.
• The letter has gained significant traction, calling for Congress and Trump to intervene.
• HHS has defended Kennedy's record amid escalating criticism and turmoil.

More than 1,000 current and former employees of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have called for Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to resign, citing actions that they believe are "compromising the health of the nation." This open letter was released by the organizing group Save HHS, which also previously issued a petition calling for reform after significant turmoil within federal health agencies, particularly following Kennedy's decisions regarding the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and COVID-19 policies, according to thehill, abcnews, newsweek, and cbsnews.

The letter specifically references Kennedy’s ousting of CDC Director Susan Monarez and the subsequent resignations of several senior officials who protested her removal. Employees have raised alarms over what they describe as detrimental changes to health policies, including the appointment of individuals they label as "political ideologues" to key vaccine approval positions. Their collective concern reflects a broader unease about the leadership and strategic direction of HHS under Kennedy, as they assert these actions jeopardize both scientific integrity and public health, according to thehill, abcnews, newsweek, and cbsnews.

The staff letter emphasizes that their signatures represent a personal stance and expresses the commitment of signatories to speak out against "violations" of constitutional and public health principles. HHS Communications Director Andrew Nixon acknowledged the ongoing criticism, stating that “the CDC has been broken for a long time,” and highlighted Kennedy's pledges for evidence-based changes within the agency. Nixon's defense stresses that Kennedy's policy actions are founded on a commitment to reform and rebuilding public trust, a point that has drawn mixed reception from both the public and the health community, according to thehill, abcnews, newsweek, and cbsnews.

The escalating turmoil comes in light of a recent shooting at the CDC headquarters, which employees linked to "politicized rhetoric" surrounding vaccine skepticism and misinformation. This incident further fueled the former and current employees' urgency in calling for accountability and transparency in health leadership. The letter has resonated with broader health and safety discussions within the agency, particularly in response to perceived mismanagement and politicization of public health directives under Kennedy's administration, as highlighted in the letters and subsequent communications from staff, according to thehill, abcnews, newsweek, and cbsnews.