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lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial | |
ARTICLE VIEW: | |
Kennedy names deputy Jim O’Neill as acting CDC director after Monarez | |
ouster | |
By Sarah Owermohle, Adam Cancryn, CNN | |
Updated: | |
11:38 AM EDT, Fri August 29, 2025 | |
Source: CNN | |
Deputy Health and Human Services Secretary Jim O’Neill will serve as | |
acting director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, | |
US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy said in a | |
letter to CDC staff. | |
O’Neill joined HHS in June after years as a Silicon Valley-based | |
technology and biotech investor, including stints with the Thiel | |
Foundation and later the Thiel Fellowship, a grant program for young | |
entrepreneurs started by billionaire Palantir founder Peter Thiel. | |
O’Neill also worked for HHS during the George W. Bush administration, | |
when, as principal associate deputy secretary, he led changes to food | |
regulation and emergency response. | |
The Washington Post first reported O’Neill’s new role. | |
He assumes the role amid turmoil for the CDC in the wake of Director | |
Dr. Susan Monarez’s firing and a series of high-profile resignations | |
this week. | |
Agency the CDC’s Atlanta headquarters on Thursday to salute the | |
departing Dr. Debra Houry, former chief medical officer; Dr. Demetre | |
Daskalakis, former chief of vaccines and respiratory diseases; Dr. | |
Daniel Jernigan, director of the National Center for Emerging and | |
Zoonotic Infectious Diseases; and data chief Dr. Jennifer Layden. | |
O’Neill accompanied Monarez and Kennedy on a tour of the CDC campus | |
this month after a gunman opened fire there, pocking the buildings with | |
hundreds of bullet holes and killing DeKalb County Police Officer David | |
Rose. | |
At his confirmation hearing in May, O’Neill told Sen. Bill Cassidy, a | |
Louisiana Republican, that he’s “very strongly pro-vaccine. I’m | |
an adviser to a vaccine company. I support the CDC vaccine schedule.” | |
Cassidy then asked O’Neill specifically about mandates. “Do you | |
agree with the mandate, which currently exists, that if somebody wishes | |
to become a legal resident, that they be up to date on their | |
immunizations, as per recommended by CDC?” | |
O’Neill said, “I haven’t looked into the immigration law aspect | |
of this, but I do support the CDC schedule, and that rule seems | |
reasonable to me.” | |
He also told senators that he would help reform “outdated rules” | |
and “pursue transparency” within federal health agencies. | |
“Our health care system is difficult to navigate, and it prioritizes | |
pills over prevention. Providers spend too much time clicking through | |
pop-up screens and fighting with insurance companies instead of looking | |
patients in the eye. Federal policies can empower people to break this | |
cycle,” O’Neill said. “If confirmed, I’ll help reform outdated | |
rules, pursue transparency and gold standard science, and champion | |
healthy lifestyles and prevention so Americans can thrive.” | |
CNN’s Jacqueline Howard contributed to this report. | |
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