On December 15, 2025, California Governor Gavin Newsom made a bold move that has rippled through the nation’s public health and political circles: he announced that two former senior Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials—Susan Monarez and Dr. Debra Houry—would be joining California as public health consultants. The news, reported by the Associated Press and other outlets, comes at a time when the state is positioning itself as a counterweight to federal health policy, particularly as the Trump administration continues to make sweeping and controversial changes to vaccine and health guidance.
Monarez and Houry’s arrival in California is not without drama or context. Both women left the CDC under turbulent circumstances earlier this year. Monarez, who was confirmed by the Senate in July 2025 as the first nonphysician director of the CDC, was fired by the Trump administration in August after less than a month in the post. According to her congressional testimony, she was dismissed after refusing to endorse new vaccine recommendations that, in her words, "weren’t backed by science." The claim by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that Monarez was let go because she was "untrustworthy" was flatly denied by Monarez, who maintained her firing was rooted in her commitment to scientific integrity.
Dr. Debra Houry, meanwhile, resigned as the CDC’s chief medical officer and deputy director in August 2025. She cited disputes over agency changes, a rise in vaccine misinformation, and concerns about planned budget cuts, reorganization, and the firing of top officials at the CDC. Houry, who spent more than a decade at the agency, was one of several officials to leave around the same time as Monarez’s abrupt exit.
The backdrop to these departures is a rapidly shifting landscape in federal health policy. In September 2025, California, Washington, and Oregon—each led by Democratic governors—formed an alliance to create their own public health guidance and vaccine recommendations. This move was a direct response to what they saw as the Trump administration’s disregard for established scientific consensus and its willingness to alter long-standing federal health recommendations. As reported by the Associated Press, the alliance aims to provide a science-driven alternative and restore public trust in health policy.
Governor Newsom, whose final term ends in just over a year and who is widely believed to be preparing for a possible 2028 presidential run, framed the hiring of Monarez and Houry as a proactive measure. "We’re not just wringing our hands right now—we’re fighting back," Newsom declared at a news conference. "This is a substantive response to what is not happening in Washington." He emphasized that by bringing expert scientific leaders into the fold, California is "strengthening collaboration and laying the groundwork for a modern public health infrastructure that will offer trust and stability in scientific data not just across California, but nationally and globally."
Monarez’s role will focus on advising California on advancing health technologies, while Houry will serve as a regional and global public health adviser as part of the state’s broader initiative. Monarez, speaking at the announcement, said, "California is leading the way to no longer sit on the sidelines and hope for a better future. California is investing and innovating now to build the public health systems that will protect lives, strengthen communities and create a future in which all Californians can thrive." Houry echoed this optimism, stating, "California will advance practical, scalable solutions that strengthen public health within the state and across states—showing how states can modernize data, share capacity, and work together more efficiently, while remaining focused on protecting people and communities."
The urgency behind these moves is underscored by a series of controversial decisions at the federal level. In November 2025, the CDC website was altered to contradict the long-standing scientific conclusion that vaccines do not cause autism, a change that alarmed public health experts nationwide. Earlier in December, a federal vaccine advisory panel voted to reverse decades-old guidance recommending that all U.S. babies receive the hepatitis B vaccine on the day they are born—a recommendation that has been credited with preventing thousands of illnesses. These reversals have fueled concerns over the politicization of public health and the spread of vaccine misinformation.
President Donald Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have both repeated falsehoods about vaccines throughout 2025, according to the Associated Press. In September, Trump urged pregnant women not to take Tylenol, claiming it could increase the risk of autism in their babies—a statement medical experts widely condemned as irresponsible and not supported by science. The administration’s health recommendations this year have often diverged from established scientific evidence, prompting criticism from within the medical and scientific communities.
California’s assertive stance has not gone unchallenged. State Senator Tony Strickland, a Republican, criticized Newsom’s actions as motivated more by national political ambitions than by the needs of Californians. "California has serious problems, and we need serious solutions from a serious leader," Strickland said in a statement. He argued that the initiative is an example of Newsom prioritizing his own political future over addressing pressing state issues.
Despite the criticism, Newsom has remained steadfast in his approach, framing California as a beacon for science-based policy amid what he and his supporters see as a retreat from evidence-based decision-making at the federal level. The state’s alliance with Washington and Oregon, and its recruitment of Monarez and Houry, are part of a broader effort to fill what Newsom describes as a leadership vacuum in national public health policy.
Dr. Houry’s enthusiasm for the initiative is palpable. She sees California’s efforts as a model for how states can respond to "shifting federal priorities, constrained resources and evolving health threats." Her hope is that the state’s approach will inspire other regions to collaborate, modernize data systems, and remain vigilant in protecting public health—even when federal guidance is inconsistent or politicized.
As California, Washington, and Oregon move forward with their alliance and new hires, the rest of the nation is watching closely. Will these states succeed in building a new model for science-driven, collaborative public health policy? Or will the political and logistical challenges prove too great? For now, one thing is clear: California is not content to sit on the sidelines, and its latest moves have set the stage for a high-stakes battle over the future of public health in America.
