On Wednesday evening, Senator Reverend Warnock gave nearly an hour-long Senate floor speech opposing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Senator Reverend Warnock’s speech came just a day before the Trump Administration announced a 10 percent cut to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) staff, roughly 1,300 employees

During his speech, Senator Reverend Warnock highlighted the importance of the Georgia-based CDC and the agency’s work to protect the nation from health, safety, and security threats

The speech follows the recent news that the Trump Administration directed federal health agencies to pause public health communications with hospitals, doctors, and the public

The Senator’s work to champion the CDC continues the legacy of Georgia Republican Senator Isakson, who worked to expand and invest in the CDC

Senator Reverend Warnock: “As a senator from the great state of Georgia, I’m very proud that I represent the Georgia-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. […] The CDC does lifesaving work to control disease outbreaks, to ensure our food and our water are safe, to keep our brave servicemembers abroad safe, and to prevent leading causes of death such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes”

Above: Senator Reverend Warnock  speaks in Defense of the CDC

Washington, D.C. – On Wednesday evening, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) delivered a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate highlighting his opposition to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump’s nominee to be the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). During his nearly hour-long speech, Senator Warnock highlighted Mr. Kennedy’s lack of qualifications and troubling conspiracy theories about the Georgia-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which could hurt the state’s economy and hinder research from bird flu, to maternal health, to cancer.

Senator Warnock’s speech was just a day before the Trump Administration announced a 10 percent reduction of CDC employees. Terminating nearly 1,300 employees, which is part of the administration’s plans to get rid of all probationary employees. Senator Warnock remains committed to using any tools at his disposal to stop cuts to programs and agencies that impact the lives of everyday Americans.

“The moment at which you put the CDC and Nazi death camps in the same statement, and you’re the secretary nominee for HHS, Houston, Georgia, America, we have a problem,” said Senator Reverend Warnock.“And that problem is Robert Kennedy.

Last year, the Senator visited the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia for the first time as Senator to learn about the agency’s efforts to protect public health, including work to combat the maternal mortality crisis and how federal funding plays a role in keeping Georgia and the country safe from infectious diseases. During Mr. Kennedy’s nomination hearing in committee, Senator Warnock spoke at length defending the importance of the CDC which employs over 10,000 hardworking Georgians.

“Last June, I visited the CDC, carrying on the spirit of my predecessor in my seat, my friend, the late Republican Senator Johnny Isakson,” continued Senator Warnock. “Johnny Isakson was a good man. We didn’t agree on everything, but he was just a good human being. And he was a fierce advocate for the CDC. And I’m honored to carry on that tradition in his memory, because he understood, as do I, that the CDC again is saving us from so many bad things that we don’t even see. 

The Senator highlighted that:

• For everyone one job hired at the CDC, three jobs are created. 
• Students come from all over the world to study at Georgia research institutions because of its proximity to the CDC. The Center hosts over 125,000 visitors on its campus every year. 
• The CDC invests hundreds of millions of dollars into Georgia organizations and institutions to partner on research. 
• For every dollar the CDC spends, Georgia’s economy sees $2 in growth. 
• If the CDC were a business, it’d be the 7th largest business in the state.

Watch Senator Warnock’s speech  HERE.

Below key excerpts from Senator Warnock’s speech:

“Mr. President,

“I rise today in strong opposition to the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. To lead the Department of Health and Human Services.”

“It’s no overstatement for me to say that it’s hard for me to imagine a nominee less qualified that would actually be presented for the job of HHS secretary. Robert F. Kennedy, not only does he not pass muster, this is not even close. I still can’t believe we’re even having this discussion. He is a conspiracy theorist who is so focused on his conspiracy theories, when you think of what we need the HHS secretary to do, Robert F. Kennedy is a hazard to our health.”

“Certainly we can do better than this. He’s just manifestly unqualified. I don’t know how else to put it.”

[…]

“As a senator from the great state of Georgia, I’m very proud that I represent the Georgia-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the CDC. Which was created nearly 80 years ago to prevent the spread of malaria across our countries. The CDC does lifesaving work to control disease outbreaks, to ensure our food and our water are safe, to keep our brave servicemembers abroad, safe, and to prevent leading causes of death such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes.” 

[…]

“The CDC employs 10,000 Georgians and their work is so critical for every American. But in addition to that, the CDC has a great economic impact on Georgia as well. For every one job at the CDC, three jobs are created. One job at the CDC creates three jobs in the Georgia economy. […] If the CDC were a business, it would be the seventh largest business in my state.”

[…]

“Last June, I visited the CDC, carrying on the spirit of my predecessor in my seat, my friend, the late Republican Senator Johnny Isakson. Johnny Isakson was a good man. We didn’t agree on everything, but he was just a good human being. And he was a fierce advocate for the CDC. And I’m honored to carry on that tradition in his memory, because he understood, as do I, that the CDC again is saving us from so many bad things that we don’t even see. 

[…]

“I spoke with researchers and medical professionals who are already working to address bird flu, which possesses a danger to our poultry farmers and our grocery prices. Can I tell you, I spent time with those CDC workers, they’re not the enemy, as some have tried to paint these federal workers in recent days. Shameful.

“They didn’t deserve to get a blanket memo encouraging them, whoever they are, no matter what job they hold, to just resign. They’re the wall. They’ve been protecting us. They’re the reason we’re able to go to sleep at night and not even think about certain things. It’s hard to get credit for saving people from the bad stuff they don’t even see.”

[…]

“You can slice and dice these words [RFK’s past comments about the CDC] all you want. The moment at which you put the CDC and Nazi death camps in the same statement, and you’re the secretary nominee for HHS, Houston, Georgia, America, we have a problem. And that problem is Robert Kennedy.”

“And god help us if my colleagues on the other side of the aisle cannot get past partisan politics, cannot find the courage to stand up to Donald Trump and say no to Robert Kennedy.”

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