Hearings to examine securing the future of health care, focusing on enhancing cybersecurity and protecting Americans' privacy.
2025-07-09
Source: Congress.gov
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Please come to order. Just for my colleagues. There's people with other committees that have to get out, like pronto. And so I thought that Senator Sanders and I would do our opening statements, and then we'll allow people to fill in. But as soon as we have enough people to do the vote, we're going to vote, and then let people get to their other committees. So we'll go ahead and start with, shall we say, less than a full House, trusting that the House will come full. First, let me begin by thanking Dr. Menares if she's watching this for coming before the committee last month. The United States needs a CDC director who makes decisions rooted in science, a leader who will reform the agency and work to restore public trust in health institutions. With decades of proven experience as a public health official, Dr. Menares is ready to take on this challenge. She is committed to improving transparency at the CDC and properly communicating health guidance to the American people. Dr. Menares will work to modernize our data health systems to improve public health coordination and response while protecting Americans' sensitive health information. This is especially crucial as the nations combat re-emerging public health threats like measles, which has taken three lives in the United States this year, one that's not included but is tragic. A Canadian woman who was pregnant got exposed to measles and lost her child and hospitalized many more due to misinformation regarding the measles epidemic. vaccine. I support Dr. Menares's nomination. I urge colleagues to do the same. With that, I recognize Senator Sanders. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I will be voting against President Trump's nominee to be the next director of CDC, Dr. Menares. The mission of the CDC is, quote, to protect America from health, safety, and security threats, both foreign and in the United States, end quote. As the CDC states on its website, quote, whether diseases start at home or abroad are chronic or acute, curable or preventable, human error or deliberate attack. CDC fights disease and supports communities and citizens to do the same, end quote. Unacceptably, President Trump and Secretary Kennedy are working overtime. to undermine the vital mission of the CDC and are jeopardizing the health, safety, and well-being of millions of people, both at home and abroad, in the process. And unfortunately, Dr. Moneris, who has served as Trump's acting CDC director, has done nothing to stand in the way. Under her watch, the Trump administration has illegally delayed or canceled $11 billion in public health funding to fight infectious disease and to prepare for the next pandemic, purged important public health data from its website that scientists need to respond to disease outbreaks, and fired scientists to focus on worker safety, the health of mothers and children, birth defects and disabilities, smoking cessation, and HIV prevention. Further, Dr. Manera stood by while Secretary Kennedy spread misinformation about vaccines. The chairman mentioned the serious problem that we have in vaccines. He is right. And that is exactly one of the reasons why we should reject this nominee. Today, the United States is reporting the highest number of measles cases in 33 years. In my view, we need a CDC director who will defend science
protect public health, and repudiate Secretary Kennedy's dangerous conspiracy theories about safe and effective vaccines that have saved, over the years, millions of lives. Unfortunately, after reviewing her record, I do not believe that Dr. Moneris is that person. I would encourage my colleagues to oppose this nomination. Thank you. So again, for the folks here, we started, for those who just arrived, we started early because so many people have committee hearings and they've got to get to. Now, on the Republican side, we need to have all of us stay until all of us have voted yes. And I'm told that people are like showing up before Senator Collins has to leave. Okay. So, but I suggest that we start voting now. And then when the people like Holly walks in, because I'm told he's arriving shortly, we'll get his yes. And we don't have to go through the whole list. We don't have to go through the whole list. Is that okay with everybody? Yep. Okay. Sounds good. The clerk should call the roll. Senator Paul.
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