Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC Director's $375,000 Salary Called Into Question By Democratic Senator
The Washington Post: Top Democratic Senator Questions CDC Director’s $375,000 Salary
A top Democratic senator is raising questions about the $375,000 salary of Robert Redfield, the new leader of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who is getting almost twice what his predecessor earned and more than other past directors. In a letter Friday to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) asked for the justification for offering Redfield “a salary significantly higher” than that of his predecessors and other leaders at HHS. (Sun, 4/27)
The New York Times: New C.D.C. Director’s $375,000 Salary Under Scrutiny
The high salary set for the newly appointed director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has come under criticism from Senate Democrats and watchdog groups who questioned the use of an exemption to pay him nearly twice as much as his predecessors. Dr. Robert R. Redfield, who became the director in March, is receiving $375,000 a year, a substantially higher salary than the heads of many other government agencies. It was granted under a provision known as Title 42, which gives the department the authority to pay staff more than the approved government rate if the personnel provide a specific scientific need that cannot otherwise be filled. (Kaplan, 4/27)
The Hill: Dem Senator Demands Answers On CDC Director's High Salary
"It is difficult to understand why someone with limited public health experience, particularly in a leadership role, is being disproportionately compensated for his work," Murray wrote in the letter, which was reported by The New York Times. (Greenwood, 4/27)
