Click here to watch Senator Blunt Rochester’s full exchange with Dr. Monarez.
Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, pressed President Donald Trump’s nominee for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dr. Susan Monarez, at her confirmation hearing. Following the abrupt firing of experts on the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ panel, Blunt Rochester’s questioning focused on vaccine affordability for Delaware families and her VACCINE Act to protect trust in vaccinations across our nation.
In a HELP Committee hearing in May, Blunt Rochester questioned Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on the sweeping changes made to the agency. Under the Senator’s questioning, Secretary Kennedy revealed publicly for the first time that Mr. Matthew Buzzelli was the Acting Director of the CDC. Shortly after, Blunt Rochester sent Kennedy a letter outlining how Buzzelli may not be legally eligible for the role and that any decisions made by him may be unenforceable in that context. The position that Buzzelli apparently filled became vacant upon Dr. Monarez’s nomination as CDC Director in March.
To watch the full hearing, click here. Key excerpts can be found below:
On Vaccine Affordability
Senator Blunt Rochester: “Do you know how much routine childhood vaccine will cost without insurance coverage?”
Dr. Monarez: “I do not but I’m happy to look into that and follow up with you.”
Senator Blunt Rochester: “Polio is $44, MMR is $95, Chickenpox, $183. In fact, when you total up the cost of vaccines for a child to start school in Delaware, it would be about $1200, which as you can imagine, really is important to families right now…a question was asked by Senator Sanders about this reconciliation bill and the impact it will have on families. The thought that it is estimated that, through cuts in Medicaid, and SNAP, and other resources, some families could see an average of a $1600 cut in their budget. And at the same time, you put on top of that the potential for a $1200 increase in vaccinations…”
On Restoring Trust in Vaccines
Senator Blunt Rochester: “When we met, you told me during our meeting that you didn’t believe that the ACIP members had conflicts of interest. That was the justification for Secretary Kennedy firing all of them. Members asked, do you disagree with him on anything – which you did not say you did or didn’t. Do you agree with Secretary Kennedy’s decision to fire all 17 ACIP members on the basis of conflicts of interest?”
Dr. Monarez: “So, look, the American – restoring trust in public health is a critical priority for me.”
Sen. Blunt Rochester: “Doctor, I would really just love an answer. Do you agree with that?”
Dr. Monarez: “I agree that the Secretary had to make a decision related to ensuring the ACIP could be supportive of restoring public trust in decision-making.”
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Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester represents Delaware in the United States Senate where she serves on the Committees on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; Commerce, Science, and Transportation; Environment and Public Works; and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.