WATCH: Censorship at the CDC is ‘unacceptable,’ ousted director says in Senate hearing

Former CDC Director Susan Monarez testified Wednesday before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions about the political pressure she says she faced from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. She says she was fired after she refused to preapprove vaccine recommendations from a CDC panel without seeing scientific evidence. Kennedy has denied these claims and told senators earlier this month that she was lying.

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.

During her testimony, Monarez told Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., of her concerns about being censored. One example she raised occurred when she realized Kennedy wanted to her align with priorities that she said she "would not be consistent with." She reached out to the Senate committee "to share my concerns" and she said "Secretary Kennedy became aware of that." She said Kennedy told her "never to do it again."

"Congress and the American people need to know what is happening at the CDC, and this censorship is not radical transparency and it is unacceptable," Monarez said.

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.

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