Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, testifies in front of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health in Washington, D.C., on June 24, 2025.

A group of more than 1,000 current and former Department of Health and Human Services employees released a letter on Sept. 3 demanding Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s resignation.

The letter's release comes after Kennedy's agency has faced controversy around recent actions like cutting funding to mRNA vaccine development and a dispute that led to the White House's firing of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez.

The Sept. 3 letter, which is addressed to Kennedy and members of Congress, argues the secretary "continues to endanger the nation's health."

"Our oath requires us to speak out when the Constitution is violated and the American people are put at risk," the letter says. "Thus, we warn the President, Congress, and the Public that Secretary Kennedy’s actions are compromising the health of this nation, and we demand Secretary Kennedy’s resignation."

Barring Kennedy's resignation, the letter calls on Congress and President Donald Trump to appoint a new HHS secretary "whose qualifications and experience ensure that health policy is informed by independent and unbiased peer-reviewed science."

HHS Communications Director Andrew Nixon said in a statement to USA TODAY that Kennedy and his team "have accomplished more than any health secretary in history in the fight to end the chronic disease epidemic and Make America Healthy Again."

"From his first day in office, he pledged to check his assumptions at the door—and he asked every HHS colleague to do the same," Nixon said.

Nixon also added, "Secretary Kennedy has been clear: the CDC has been broken for a long time. Restoring it as the world’s most trusted guardian of public health will take sustained reform and more personnel changes."

'HHS policies are placing the health of all Americans at risk,' employee letter says

The signees of the Sept. 3 letter said a slew of Kennedy's actions have put public health at risk, including the Food and Drug Administration's increased restrictions on COVID-19 shots. In addition to Monarez's firing, the letter also cited the resulting resignations of several top CDC officials.

"We believe health policy should be based on strong, evidence-based principles rather than partisan politics," the letter said. "But under Secretary Kennedy’s leadership, HHS policies are placing the health of all Americans at risk, regardless of their politics."

A separate group of former CDC leaders penned an opinion piece published in The New York Times on Sept. 1 that said what Kennedy is doing is “unlike anything our country has ever experienced.”

Letter follows another from HHS workers released in August

The push for Kennedy's resignation comes after more than 800 current and former HHS employees similarly released a letter on Aug. 20 that raised concerns about national health policies.

That letter mentioned heightened unease among HHS workers after the deadly Aug. 8 shooting at the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. David Rose, a DeKalb County police officer, was killed in the shooting as he was responding to the scene, authorities said.

"The deliberate destruction of trust in America's public health workforce puts lives at risk," the Aug. 20 letter said. "We urge you to act in the best interest of the American people—your friends, your families, and yourselves."

Trump appears to stick by RFK Jr.

The Trump administration has continued to back Kennedy's job performance thus far.

“Secretary Kennedy has been a crown jewel of this administration who’s working tirelessly to improve public health for all Americans,” Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy, told reporters on Aug. 29.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also defended Monarez's firing in comments to reporters on Aug. 28.

“It was President Trump, who was overwhelmingly reelected on November 5,” Leavitt said. “This woman has never received a vote in her life, and the president has the authority to fire those who are not aligned with his mission."

This story has been updated with additional information.

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: More than 1,000 HHS workers demand RFK Jr. resigns

Reporting by Melina Khan, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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