New CDC director vows to speak truth to power, including RFK Jr.

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WASHINGTON — Erica Schwartz, the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told agency staff on Wednesday that she was prepared to disagree with administration leaders and sought to empower others to do the same, according to a recording of the meeting obtained by STAT.

During her first all-hands address on Wednesday, Schwartz identified three priorities: preserving trust through radical transparency and scientific rigor; strengthening the CDC’s ability to respond to disease threats; and building up the agency’s relationship with state and local partners.

She said she was ready to stand up to health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. if needed to accomplish those goals.

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