Former CDC leaders demand congressional safeguards to keep science free from politics

A year after three senior CDC officials left in protest, they are pressing Congress to strengthen the agency against political influence. Their departure was triggered by experiences of pressure to modify scientific guidance, illustrated by the early-2025 halt of a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report and the removal of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. They outline four reforms: requiring a scientific assessment for any major public-health directive, creating a statutory firewall that protects CDC publications after peer review, granting legal independence to federal health advisory panels, and mandating congressional oversight of program staffing and discretionary spending.

They note that the current CDC director, Erica Schwartz, has pledged scientific rigor but has not explained how she would act if ordered to implement policies that conflict with data. The authors argue that enduring safeguards are essential for evidence-based health policy regardless of which party holds power.