FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Johnson also responds to the resignation of Dr. Daskalakis, calling these dual departures “a five-alarm fire for our nation’s public health.”

NEW YORK, NY – August 28, 2025 – In response to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s attempted firing of CDC Director Susan Monarez for refusing to abandon scientific evidence, PrEP4All Executive Director Jeremiah Johnson released the following statement:

“We stand with the CDC leaders calling attention to the anti-science agenda at HHS. We also urge that Congress must act now to protect the independence of the Preventive Services Task Force. The attempted firing of the CDC Director for refusing to ‘rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives’ underscores the urgent need to safeguard other medical experts who refuse to put ideology ahead of science. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force experts could be next. 

“The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force comprises volunteer medical experts who, like Dr. Monarez, each act on scientific evidence rather than political ideology. Reports indicate RFK Jr. plans to fire all 16 Task Force members, calling them ‘woke’ for their evidence-based approach to preventive care. They are exactly the kind of scientists RFK Jr. is targeting. Without their evidence-based recommendation, insurance companies could start charging hundreds of dollars per month for HIV-prevention medication that currently costs patients nothing.

“The stakes extend far beyond PrEP. We’re talking about 150 million Americans who depend on free preventive care—cancer screenings, diabetes testing, heart disease prevention.

“Congress has the power to protect the Task Force through additional oversight hearings, requiring RFK Jr. to justify any interference with scientific independence, and using appropriations to ensure evidence-based decision making continues. Congress must act immediately to prevent the ideological purge of the Task Force.”

Johnson also responded to the resignation of Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at CDC, who resigned effective last night citing his inability to serve under RFK Jr.’s leadership:

“Dr. Daskalakis has been a champion for the HIV and LGBTQ+ communities and a strong ally to PrEP4All, particularly through his leadership ongreater Mpox testing and vaccine access.

“Dr. Daskalakis’ resignation makes clear that RFK Jr. is demanding CDC serve as ‘a tool to generate policies and materials that do not reflect scientific reality.’ This is exactly what will happen to the Preventive Services Task Force if Congress doesn’t act. Congress cannot let the Task Force become another casualty of this ideological war on science.

“The dual departures of Monarez and Dr. Daskalakis are a five-alarm fire for our nation’s public health and should spur immediate Congressional action.”

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Background: PrEP4All’s Efforts to Protect the Task Force

PrEP4All was part of a national coalition that successfully defended the Task Force during the recent Kennedy v. Braidwood Supreme Court case, where religious extremists challenged the requirement that insurance companies cover PrEP at no cost, claiming it “promotes homosexuality” and offends their religious beliefs.

This case began with plaintiffs objecting to PrEP, but evolved from an attack on LGBTQ+ healthcare into a threat to the well-being of Americans from all walks of life.

While the Supreme Court upheld the Task Force’s legal authority and rejected the assault on preventive care, the justices also “affirmed the constitutionality of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force only through heightened oversight by the Secretary.” This ruling inadvertently gave RFK Jr. expanded power over what have historically been independent, science-driven health recommendations.

“By affirming the constitutionality of the USPSTF only through heightened oversight by the Secretary, the ruling provides the Secretary with tools to exert significant control,” the coalition warned in their statement. “If misused and unchecked, this authority risks transforming objective medical guidance into a politicized tool susceptible to partisan interference.”

Following reports that RFK Jr. plans to fire the Task Force, PrEP4All joined Families USA and nearly 200 organizations in August 2025 in sending a letter directly to Secretary Kennedy urging him to “maintain the current structure, membership, and processes of the USPSTF to ensure that this objective, scientifically independent panel of experts can continue to make unbiased, evidence-based recommendations.”

Simultaneously, PrEP4All launched a grassroots campaign asking supporters to demand their senators “investigate these reports and call on RFK Jr. to testify in front of Congress.” Nearly 2,000 members of the PrEP4All community have sent letters through the campaign, echoing Johnson’s call for Congress to use its oversight power to protect the Task Force.

The campaign calls for Congress to:

• Investigate reports about RFK Jr.’s plans to fire Task Force members
• Demand RFK Jr. testify before Congress to justify any interference with scientific independence
• Use oversight hearings to require accountability on enforcement of preventive service protections

What’s at Stake

If RFK Jr. replaces Task Force members with political allies, upwards of 150 million of Americans could lose access to free preventive care, including:

• PrEP for HIV prevention
• Cancer screenings for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers
• Diabetes and hypertension screening
• Depression screening and behavioral counseling

Costs would rise for testing, screening, and preventive treatments that are currently free. Research shows that even modest co-pays discourage preventive care use, leading to delayed diagnoses and worse health outcomes, particularly for communities of color and low-income Americans who already face health disparities.

About PrEP4All

PrEP4All is the nation’s leading advocacy organization fighting for universal access to HIV prevention. Since 2018, the organization has pushed for a national PrEP program and worked to defend evidence-based policies that keep PrEP accessible and affordable.

CONTACT: Michael Chancley, [email protected]