West Coast governors form health alliance, cite politicization of CDC

The Democratic governors of Washington, Oregon and California announced Wednesday that they have created an alliance to safeguard state health policies and public health functions, saying recent federal actions have politicized the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and placed Americans' health at risk.

In a joint statement, the governors pointed to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s restructuring and downsizing of the CDC and efforts to advance vaccine policies that the governors said contradict decades of scientific research. They also cited concerns about staffing and budget cuts after the White House sought to remove the agency's director and some top CDC leaders resigned in protest.

"The CDC has become a political tool that increasingly peddles ideology instead of science, ideology that will lead to severe health consequences," the governors said in the statement. California State Health Officer Erica Pan said in the release that "the dismantling of public health and dismissal of experienced and respected health leaders and advisors, along with the lack of using science, data, and evidence to improve our nation’s health are placing lives at risk."

The announcement came as COVID-19 cases were reported to be rising in parts of the country. The governors framed the alliance as a measure to protect residents' health by maintaining evidence-based public health practices at the state level while monitoring federal changes that they say undermine longstanding scientific guidance.

Officials did not provide detailed operational specifics in the initial statement. The move is consistent with earlier actions by states that have sought to preserve public health capacities — including surveillance, vaccination programs and emergency response systems — amid shifts in federal leadership and policy.

Public health experts have warned that reductions in staffing and funding at federal agencies can ripple through state and local systems that rely on CDC guidance, laboratory support and data coordination. The governors' statement emphasized using science, data and evidence to guide health decisions while pledging to work together across the three states to protect people from emerging and ongoing health threats.

The governors' alliance adds to a series of state-led responses to federal policy changes affecting public health institutions. Further details, including how the alliance will coordinate resources or share responsibilities, were not disclosed in the release accompanying Wednesday's announcement.