The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was created to stop deadly outbreaks—but its mission has evolved over time to protect Americans from more than just viruses.

The CDC today plays a crucial role in fighting chronic disease, promoting vaccinations, addressing environmental health threats, and advancing health equity.

Now, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to gut all of that.

In a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed, Kennedy proposed stripping the CDC’s authority to focus only on infectious diseases—effectively abandoning its work on:

Heart disease, diabetes, and cancer prevention
Tobacco and opioid education
Vaccine safety and oversight
Environmental health hazards
Injury prevention and maternal health.

These aren’t “mission creep.” They’re core public health services that save lives in every community—especially among low-income, rural, and historically underserved populations. Removing them would set public health back decades.

We are calling on Congress, the Senate Health Committee, and state health departments to:

• Reject any attempt to limit the CDC’s authority to infectious disease alone
• Fully fund the CDC’s chronic disease, health equity, and vaccine programs
• Prevent RFK Jr. from transferring public health responsibilities to unproven, politically motivated new agencies.
   

Health is more than avoiding outbreaks. It’s about long-term care, prevention, and making sure every community has access to trusted science-backed solutions.