PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, May 19, 2025
Contact for People’s CDC: info@peoplescdc.org
The People’s CDC Denounces the Executive Branch for Cutting Safety Standard Committees for Workplaces and Healthcare Settings
The Trump Administration has failed to protect the workforce by cutting most of NIOSH and HICPAC at the CDC
Washington DC – As the US faces the start of the sixth year of the COVID pandemic, the People’s CDC denounces the Trump administration for failing to protect workers and especially workers and patients in healthcare settings. Healthcare-acquired infections from SARS-CoV-2 and Flu drive unnecessary harm and death, all preventable by universal masking. However, federal agencies and committees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with vital roles in ensuring the highest safety standards in workplaces and healthcare settings such as the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) was defunded and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) was eliminated. This was carried out under the current Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F Kennedy, Jr.
NIOSH at the CDC was initially created in 1970 to understand the impact of asbestos on people’s health and to certify respirators. Since then, it has been responsible for overseeing workplace safety and preventing workplace injuries and disease in a variety of settings. It also has the primary role of certifying and standarding respirators.
HICPAC at the CDC was established in 1991 and is responsible for recommending infection control standards in healthcare settings regarding healthcare-associated infectious diseases and adverse events in healthcare settings. The elimination of these important agencies and advisory committees puts patients and workers at risk.
People’s CDC urges elected members of Congress to demand the executive branch to:
1) Restore full funding and all staff positions at NIOSH.
2) Reestablish HICPAC and ensure members represent all members of healthcare settings.
3) Ensure funding is fully obligated by Congress to these agencies and establish transparent processes within these agencies and committees.
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CDC de las Pueblas is a CDC watchdog, and a public health advocacy and health justice group.