New Centers for Disease Control Director Dr. Mandy Cohen testified before Congress Thursday for the first time since President Joe Biden chose her to run the department. She replaced Dr. Rochelle Walensky, who stepped down earlier this year.
Cohen, the former North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services secretary, faced numerous questions about how to restore the agency’s image and credibility, which suffered during the worst days of the pandemic.
“The confusing and inconsistent recommendations coming from the CDC during the COVID pandemic have really damaged America’s trust in the CDC, and we want to rebuild that,” Republican Rep. Debbie Lesko of Arizona said.
Cohen told Spectrum News 1 in an interview in Atlanta this summer that she is well aware of the issues that occurred and is focused on restoring faith in the worldwide agency.
She reiterated that focus before lawmakers Thursday.
“I hope you’re already seeing us communicate differently, more timely, telling folks what we know, when we know and what we don’t know … and we are making sure our workforce is ready to respond,” Cohen said. “But I will say there are still ways in which we need to continue to work with Congress to make sure the CDC is funded to be that national security asset that we need for this country.”
The CDC says House Republicans have proposed cutting the CDC’s budget by about one-sixth or $1.6 billion, including programs that focus on climate change and research into gun violence research and HIV research.
The Senate likely would restore some if not all of those cuts, but the budget is still a major concern for Cohen, especially in how the CDC tracks information.
“They zeroed out investments in data infrastructure, and that’s not going to be compatible with the CDC,” Cohen said.
The CDC says Cohen regularly travels to Washington to meet with members of Congress.
Cohen was also asked about concerns Thursday involving the flu, RSV and COVID-19, which are respiratory diseases that spread more easily this time of year as people spend time indoors.
“We are in full season of RSV … we are having a pretty typical flu season. We do expect to have a lot more flu cases over the course of December and January,” Cohen said. “Even though those are going up, and we are at the peak of RSV, COVID is still the respiratory virus that is putting the most number of folks in the hospital and taking their lives.”
Cohen is pushing Americans to get the COVID and flu vaccines and for those eligible to get the RSV vaccine.
But that hasn’t been easy. The CDC says only about 16% of Americans have gotten the updated COVID shot.
And although Cohen received bipartisan praise when she led North Carolina’s health agency during the height of the pandemic, there’s no question leading the CDC will be her tallest order yet as she works to win over some uneasy Americans.