Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff released the following statement today after voting against the nomination of Dr. Susan Monarez to serve as director of the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“I congratulate Dr. Monarez on her Senate confirmation and sincerely hope her tenure at CDC will be a success for the Nation, the State of Georgia, and the CDC.
“The CDC is currently under political attack by the White House, which has gutted and demoralized the CDC workforce, disbanded critical CDC offices focused on maternal health and disease monitoring, and is attempting to slash the CDC’s budget by more than half. These foolish efforts put Americans’ health at risk.
“Against this disturbing backdrop, after meeting with Dr. Monarez, I lacked sufficient confidence in her independence and that she would fight for the CDC and its core mission: public health. Accordingly, I voted against her confirmation. I nevertheless stand ready to work with her to support the CDC, its vital mission, and the CDC’s workforce.”
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