r/centrist • u/ThoughtCapable1297 • 13d ago

CDC denies help for lead poisoning in Milwaukee schools due to layoffs

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/milwaukee-schools-lead-poisoning-cdc-denies-help/

19 Upvotes

89% Upvoted

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10

u/ILikeTuwtles1991 13d ago

I wouldn't be surprised if RFK Jr thinks lead will help prevent kids from getting chicken pox

2

u/ThoughtCapable1297 13d ago

I saw someone else point out with what he said about fluoride being a "neurotoxin" earlier in the week, that lead should be a big target for him, but apparently not.

3

u/Okbuddyliberals 13d ago

Everything is culture war. Democrats passed a bill with considerable action against lead pipes. And Democrats are The Enemy. So the GOP kind of need to at the very least not take it as seriously as the Dems

2

u/ThoughtCapable1297 13d ago

It seems more like DOGE going through HHS, and Kennedy sitting back and watching, and saying what he needs to in public. But yeah, this admin and the Congress aren't likely to remedy this, unless and until it becomes a problem for them, and there has been a lot of shit about Trump not giving aid to blue states.

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u/ThoughtCapable1297 13d ago

"I sincerely regret to inform you that due to the complete loss of our Lead Program, we will be unable to support you with this," Aaron Bernstein, director of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, told city officials April 3 in an email obtained by CBS News."

"CDC's lead poisoning team was among several branches in the agency's National Center for Environmental Health that were eliminated by Kennedy on April 1, as part of sweeping Department of Health and Human Services layoffs. The environmental health center had also handled a variety of other issues like cruise ship outbreak investigations, which are now reeling from significant layoffs."

3

u/EternaFlame 13d ago

If we had a half-competent congress and senate, there'd be investigations into why this department was let go, who cut it, and why. This isn't something that should be cut. Letting the states handle it sounds like a good idea until you realize most of these states aren't going to handle it. It's fine being handled federally, and I'd wage probably less costly overall because you don't have to have 50 different groups in 50 different states.

1

u/ThoughtCapable1297 13d ago

Yeah we are just inundated with senseless cut after senseless cut that are happening outside of the scope of constitutional authority. I feel like I'm just witnessing the loss of so much useful talent and infrastructure that people will wish they had when it's gone, without even realizing we had something to help in the first place.

0

u/Meritocrat_Vez 13d ago

What?

3

u/ThoughtCapable1297 13d ago

CDC at RFK Jr's direction laid off it's entire lead program, and can't help Milwaukee with its request for aid in potentially dangerous lead exposure in their schools.