Washington Democratic Sen. Patty Murray has announced the creation of the Public Health for America working group, which will focus on restoring trust in the U.S. public health system. The experts are expected to develop a long-term reform plan after the period under President Donald Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Murray said current policies have put the system “on life support,” accusing the administration of underestimating the rise in measles cases and responding slowly to an outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a foodborne infection that has affected thousands of people this year.
According to the senator, public health should not become a subject of political conflict and change dramatically every four years. She emphasized that future policy should be based on scientific evidence, prevention, preparedness for emerging threats and transparent communication with the public. At the same time, Murray wants not merely to restore existing institutions, but to rebuild them so they are resilient and trusted over the long term.
The group includes Helen Chu, a University of Washington professor and former member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which Kennedy dissolved in June 2025. The university is considered one of the Seattle region’s leading centers of expertise because of its medical and epidemiological programs, laboratories and partnerships with local health authorities. Its specialists monitor infections, model disease spread, conduct clinical research and train health care professionals. Chu is known for her work on infectious diseases and early outbreak detection, helping authorities assess risks more accurately and plan vaccination efforts.
Other members of the working group include former Maryland Health Secretary Joshua Sharfstein, Washington State Board of Health Chair Patty Hayes, AIDS-prevention specialist Jeffrey Levi and physician Vin Gupta. They will hold public hearings, roundtables and meetings with experts to prepare proposals for future legislation.
The Washington State Board of Health helps establish mandatory public-health rules in the state, including vaccination requirements, infectious-disease controls and measures to protect the public. By contrast, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issues scientific guidance, collects data, coordinates responses to epidemics and provides technical support to states, but generally does not directly enact state laws. As a result, many decisions about requirements in Washington are made by state authorities while taking federal recommendations into account.
The initiative will operate amid intense political polarization and continuing disputes over masks, vaccination and other pandemic-era measures. According to a survey by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the de Beaumont Foundation, the share of Americans who trust CDC recommendations fell from 77% to 50% during the first year Kennedy oversaw the agency. Murray, who holds an influential position on the Senate Appropriations Committee, hopes to use the group’s findings to develop bipartisan legislation and strengthen the health care system.
Based on: Patty Murray launches initiative to restore trust in public health