Newsom's fight with Trump and RFK Jr. on public health

"After Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez for refusing what her lawyers called 'the dangerous politicization of science,' Newsom to help modernize California's public health system. He also gave a job to Debra Houry, the agency's former chief science and medical officer, who had resigned in protest hours after Monarez's firing."

"Newsom also teamed up with fellow Democratic governors Tina Kotek of Oregon, Bob Ferguson of Washington and Josh Green of Hawaii to form the West Coast Health Alliance, a regional public health agency, whose guidance the governors said would 'uphold scientific integrity in public health as Trump destroys' the CDC's credibility."

"California became the first state to join a global outbreak response network coordinated by the World Health Organization, followed by Illinois and New York. Colorado and Wisconsin signaled they plan to join. They did so after President Trump officially withdrew the United States from the agency on the grounds that it had 'strayed from its core mission.'"

Governor Newsom has established himself as a prominent public health leader by adopting science-based policies that contrast with the Trump administration's approach. Following the firing of CDC Director Susan Monarez, Newsom hired her and former HHS chief science officer Debra Houry to modernize California's public health system. He co-founded the West Coast Health Alliance with Democratic governors from Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii to maintain scientific integrity in public health. California became the first state to join a WHO-led global outbreak response network after the Trump administration withdrew from the World Health Organization. Other states including Illinois, New York, Colorado, and Wisconsin have followed or signaled plans to join this network, positioning themselves independently from federal health leadership.

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