California hires ex-CDC leaders who were fired or quit under Trump

California on Monday announced the hiring of two former senior Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials to serve as public health consultants, expanding the state's role in science-driven policy. Susan Monarez, who was fired as the CDC's director by the Trump administration, and Debra Houry, who resigned as the agency's chief medical officer and deputy director, will work with California's public health department.

"California is leading the way to no longer sit on the sidelines and hope for a better future," Monarez said at the news conference. "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." Newsom said the appointments are intended to help rebuild trust in science-based decision-making and to counter what he described as a lack of leadership in Washington. "We're not just wringing our hands right now — we're fighting back. This is a substantive response to what is not happening in Washington."

California has increasingly positioned itself as a counterweight to federal health policy and joined an alliance with Washington and Oregon to craft its own public health guidance and vaccine recommendations as federal changes take effect. The governor's final term ends in just over a year, and he is weighing a possible run for president in 2028.

Republican state Sen. Tony Strickland characterized the move as an example of Newsom prioritizing national ambitions over California's problems. "California has serious problems, and we need serious solutions from a serious leader," Strickland said in a statement.

The White House and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to requests for comment on the hirings.

Monarez, a former director of a federal biomedical research agency, was named acting director of the CDC in January. She was confirmed by the Senate in July, becoming the first nonphysician to serve in the role, but was fired by the Trump administration in August after less than a month in the post. In congressional testimony, Monarez said she was fired after refusing to endorse new vaccine recommendations that she argued were not backed by science. In California, she will advise on advancing health technologies.

Houry, who spent more than a decade at the CDC, was among a handful of top officials who resigned around the same time Monarez was fired. Houry cited concerns about vaccine misinformation and planned budget cuts, reorganizations, and firings at the agency. She will serve as a regional and global public health adviser as part of the California initiative, and said the effort will model how states can lead together amid shifting federal priorities, constrained resources and evolving health threats.