WATCH: Ousted CDC Director Monarez's opening statement in Senate hearing on RFK Jr., kids’ health

Former CDC Director Susan Monarez testified in a Senate hearing Wednesday about the political pressure she says she faced from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

In her opening statement, she said Kennedy asked her to preapprove vaccine recommendations from a CDC panel without seeing scientific evidence. He also "directed me to dismiss career officials responsible for vaccine policy without cost."

She said Kennedy told her if she was unwilling to do both, she should resign. Kennedy has denied these claims and told senators earlier this month that she was lying.

"I was honored to be nominated by President Trump and confirmed with the Senate's support. Secretary Kennedy himself swore me in on July 31, calling me a public health expert with unimpeachable scientific credentials. My tenure as CDC director lasted 29 days. Since my removal, several explanations have been offered — that I told the secretary I would resign, that I was not aligned with the administration priorities, or that I was untrustworthy. None of those reflect what actually happened."

Monarez’s firing led to the resignations of several other top health officials, including chief medical officer Dr. Debra Houry, who also testified in Wednesday’s hearing.

The hearing comes a day before a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the panel that issues vaccine recommendations. Kennedy, known for his anti-vaccine advocacy, has come under fire for removing all members of the board and replacing them with people who align with his views. The panel is expected to vote on authorizations for COVID-19 vaccines, among others.

"Today should not be about me," Monarez said. "Today should be about the future of trust in public health."

"The stakes are not theoretical," she said.

Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objective TV news show.

Sign up for Here's The Deal with Lisa Desjardins: https://to.pbs.org/41q6E8i
Subscribe for exclusive content in our newsletters: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/subscribe
PBS News podcasts: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/podcasts
Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2Jb8twG
Find more from PBS News at https://www.pbs.org/newshour
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2HfsCD6

Follow us:
TikTok:   / pbsnews  
X:   / newshour  
Instagram:   / newshour  
Facebook: http://www.pbs.org/newshour