Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee with oversight of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, plans to hold a hearing this month on the CDC reorganization that many safety and health advocates take as a slap in the face to NIOSH.
As part of the CDC reorganization effective October 1, NIOSH is to become part of a mid-level "coordinating center" along with other CDC programs. Its director, Dr. John Howard, will no longer report directly to CDC Director Julie L. Gerberding.