DeGette to White House: Who is meddling in CDC health decisions?

U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette is asking the Trump Administration to explain whether political interference is affecting the scientific work of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"President Trump and Administration officials have repeatedly contradicted CDC public health experts, resulting in the delivery of conflicting information about COVID-19 to the American people," reads a letter from DeGette and U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr., D-N.J., dated June 29. Pallone is the chair of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and DeGette heads the oversight subcommittee.

The lawmakers accused the administration of having "sidelined" the CDC, in "repudiation" of its expertise during the pandemic that has killed nearly 130,000 people in the United States in a matter of months. They cited incidents in which the White House "shelved guidance CDC had drafted to help business owners, faith leaders, and education systems determine when and how to reopen"; delayed the agency's travel alert by six days in early March; and contradicted official guidance. They pointed specifically to the president's refusal to wear a face mask.

"In conclusion, it is clear that CDC is being positioned as a scapegoat for the Administration's own COVID-19 pandemic response failures," the letter reads. POLITICO reported on June 23 that the administration would launch a review of the CDC's "missteps," and potentially inject more political appointees into the agency.

DeGette and Pallone asked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to describe who is reviewing CDC public health guidance and any analysis the department has conducted about the CDC's needs and resources.