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Miller-Meeks Seeks Stakeholder Feedback to Reform CDC Following Years of Consistent Failures and Broken Trust

April 5, 2023

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01) today penned a letter to healthcare industry stakeholders seeking insight as she leads Congressional efforts to reform and improve the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Text of the letter may be found here.

“Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed years of consistent failures within the CDC resulting in a lack of trust among Iowans and others across the nation,” said Representative Miller-Meeks, M.D. “It’s imperative the CDC can address public health threats, and, as it stands, it’s clear the agency is incapable of doing so. My hope is by engaging in a productive discussion we can work together to rebuild and restore trust in our nation’s preeminent public health agency.”

“The CDC has broken the American people’s trust after years of mismanagement, blatant errors, politicization, and sadly even deception. Our committee will continue to do the hard work necessary to achieve much needed reforms at the CDC, including adding crucial guardrails to ensure it returns to its core mission. CDC needs further congressional direction, and we will need input from a variety of stakeholders and experts. I thank Dr. Miller Meeks for her leadership in this effort and welcome all to submit their feedback,” said Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), Chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

In part, Miller-Meeks wrote, “Politics aside, there is a near collective recognition that the CDC failed to execute its primary mission of ‘protect[ing] America from health, safety and security threats’ by ‘conduct[ing] critical science and provid[ing] health information that protects our nation against expensive and dangerous health threats, and respond[ing] when these arise.’  This included numerous core operational failures, as well as total lapses in reliable communication.”

“I am seeking specific guidance, feedback, and information from stakeholders in the public and private sectors on how best to reform, improve, and authorize the CDC and its programs to rebuild trust and ensure the agency is nimble in addressing public health threats,” Miller-Meeks continued.

Text of the letter may be found here and below.

To all Interested Parties,

I write today seeking your insights and perspective to inform Congressional efforts to reform and improve upon the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As our nation’s preeminent public health agency, my constituents expected more of CDC during the COVID-19 pandemic and were thoroughly disappointed.

In place of clear, reasonable guidance backed by the best scientific evidence available at the time, my constituents were faced with confusing inconsistencies at best, and clear political bias at worst. Politics aside, there is a near collective recognition that the CDC failed to execute its primary mission of “protect[ing] America from health, safety and security threats” by “conduct[ing] critical science and provid[ing] health information that protects our nation against expensive and dangerous health threats, and respond[ing] when these arise.”  This included numerous core operational failures, as well as total lapses in reliable communication. The CDC’s sprawling bureaucracy of siloed and uncoordinated administrative, academic, and disease, condition, or issue-specific programs was also put on full display. As a result, public trust and faith in our public health agencies and leaders has been decimated. To its credit, the CDC has also recognized the internal and external breakdowns and has started to begin down a path of reform through its own “Moving Forward” initiative.  Unfortunately, I am concerned this will be insufficient to remedy the concerns of my constituents and the healthcare community.

I am seeking specific guidance, feedback, and information from stakeholders in the public and private sectors on how best to reform, improve, and authorize the CDC and its programs to rebuild trust and ensure the agency is nimble in addressing public health threats. My goal is to ensure a productive discussion and examination regarding the inadequacies and failures of the CDC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to better prevent, prepare for, and respond to future public health threats. My hope is that will serve as an opportunity for robust, honest, and comprehensive reflection, discussion, and action.

I thank you in advance for your time and consideration in sharing your specific thoughts, expertise, and perspective on these issues. Responses are due April 23, 2023. Please submit responses to at CDC.Reform@mail.house.gov.

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