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Today, Sen. Ossoff demanded answers in a U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee hearing from the Trump Administration’s Budget Director, Russell Vought, about the Administration’s plan to gut the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) budget by over 50%.

Under questioning from Sen. Ossoff, Director Vought refused to acknowledge that the Administration fired or tried to fire nearly a quarter of the CDC workforce.

“You guys are making mistakes, and I want to focus on the mistakes that you’re making at the CDC. Have you visited the CDC, Mr. Vought, by chance? It is the flagship epidemiological and public health agency for the country and indeed for the world,” said Sen. Ossoff. “You have fired or tried to fire nearly a quarter of the CDC workforce, and your budget request for FY26 would cut the CDC budget in more than half.”

“You are destroying this institution, and whatever criticism you have about their past performance, they are essential to public health and epidemiological defense in the United States. You’re crushing morale, you’re crushing capability, and you’re destroying my constituents’ lives,” Sen. Ossoff continued.

Sen. Ossoff later secured a commitment from Director Vought to come to Georgia and meet with CDC staff in the wake of the Administration’s mass firings and plan to slash the CDC budget.

Earlier this month, Sen. Ossoff joined a group of Senators slamming U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for firing the entire Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) at the CDC, which they warn puts Georgia families at risk.

In May, Sen. Ossoff and a group of Senators demanded answers from Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on the elimination of the CDC team responsible for making sure families who are trying to have children through in vitro fertilization (IVF) can do so in an informed and safe manner – despite President Donald Trump’s promise to support families seeking IVF treatments.

In April, Sen. Ossoff condemned the Trump Administration’s continued attacks on the CDC following reports of mass layoffs of thousands of CDC employees.

In early February, Sen. Ossoff quickly warned against the Trump Administration’s attacks on the CDC.