Former CDC director reveals pressure to fire scientists at CDC
Former CDC director Susan Monares told lawmakers he was told to sign off to vaccine recommendations regardless of scientific evidence.
According to an internal document shared with USA Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has put on hold on policy changes made earlier this week.
Authorized employees with qualified disability and medical issues were previously permitted to work from home if the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and CDC conditions were requested or justified. However, the recent HHS telework policy was issued on August 13th and not in effect until September 15th, but as previously reported by USA Today, an agency that was described as complying with President Donald Trump’s memorandum of return to occupation issued on February 7th has abolished the option.
As of Friday, September 19th, the CDC has at least temporarily reversed its measurement course. In an email reviewed by USA Today, employees were told by the CDC Human Resources Office (OHR) that the implementation of the new policy has been “pending” and that employees can continue their telework agreements until further notice.
One email from OHR sent to the CDC supervisors directed them to refrain from taking immediate action on the policy announced last month as the CDC is seeking “clearing” from the HHS. In one email sent to all staff, the CDC supervisor said he believes the move is a “tentative pause” until HHS provides more information.
USA Today had contacted HHS and CDC for comments.
Union President: “Eliminate civil rights violations”
President Yolanda Jacobs of the United States Government Employees Federation Region 2883, one of the unions representing CDC staff, has received existing approvals for dozens of people who have already had long-standing accommodations to work from home due to conditions such as multiple sclerosis, the immune system, or high-risk pregnancy. Jacobs said.
“This represents the most drastic civil rights violations against federal employees in decades,” the union said in a statement. Reasonable adjustments are protected by the Disability Persons Act and, for federal workers, the Rehabilitation Act (RA) of 1973, but the legal water around telework as specifically protected accommodation is muddy.
“Reversing such a surprising violation of federal disability law is a step in the right direction,” Jacobs said in a statement to USA Today. “For hundreds of employees with disabilities who will be seriously affected by a recent return to their attitude, I hope that the agency continues to do the right thing, legal.”
