Senator Bernie Sanders published an op-ed in The New York Times on August 30, 2025, urging Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to step down, citing what he calls a “crisis of confidence” in America’s public health institutions.
Sanders’ critique comes in the wake of a string of controversial actions by Kennedy, including the abrupt dismissal of CDC Director Susan Monarez, the disbanding of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the halting of nearly $500 million in federal funding for mRNA vaccine development.
According to Sanders, these actions “undermine scientific integrity, disrupt vaccine development, and threaten Americans’ access to life-saving healthcare.” He highlights the resignation of top CDC officials in protest as a stark signal that Kennedy’s leadership is incompatible with the responsibilities of HHS.
The op-ed frames the resignation as both a moral and practical imperative, stressing that political ideology must not override science in safeguarding public health and ensuring pandemic preparedness. Sanders warns that dismantling vaccine advisory structures and defunding research could leave the U.S. vulnerable to future outbreaks.
He also calls on Congress to hold HHS accountable for the upheaval, noting that the Trump-era appointee’s actions “threaten the public’s trust in health institutions that Americans rely on for safety and scientific guidance.” Sanders’ intervention signals rare but urgent congressional scrutiny of executive health policy, highlighting deep divisions over vaccine strategy, public trust, and governance.
