In the wake of the drastic cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk, thousands lost their jobs, industries are panicking, and society has been in a state of shock.
Consequently, there have been widespread protests against Musk and his team’s decisions. Because the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—where around 1,300 were targeted with layoffs on Musk’s advice—is based in Atlanta, there were several local protests throughout the week of CHamblee High School’s February Break supporting these workers and greater transparency because DOGE had not even said who has been, or how many people, have been fired.
On Friday, February 21, a state representative for the city of Atlanta and parts of DeKalb County, Saira Draper led a rally on the steps of the Georgia Capitol’s South Wing, which were almost completely filled by supporters of the work the CDC was doing. There were students, parents, and people long-retired, all to support vaccines and denounce current decisions. Many held colorful signs thanking the CDC for the work they do and criticizing current government decisions.
Rep. Draper was accompanied by a few other state representatives, including Rep. Long Tran (Democrat, Dunwoody) and Rep. Michelle Au (Democrat, Johns Creek), and numerous public health experts.
Those experts all spoke to give their reasons about why the CDC is important to them and the world. Draper herself mentioned the lack of oversight of DOGE, the fear of retaliation shared by the remaining employees, and the severe disruption of the livelihoods of Georgians.
During the speech, the crowd cheered and applauded whenever they believed the speaker made a great point.
The three experts there spoke about the CDC’s mission and its respect around the world. They talked about the actual benefits the CDC brings in food regulation, disease recognition, and outbreak management. They stressed the importance of the CDC in controlling the current measles outbreaks and the spread of the bird flu, and warned that the cuts limited the CDC’s ability to monitor these diseases. Finally, they discussed the importance of the training that the CDC provides, which is known to have been severely impacted by the aforementioned cuts.
Draper concluded by stressing the importance of public health for all of us and comparing it to a theoretical elimination of regulation in other areas like air travel. With the current air incidents and the shortage of air traffic controllers, imagine what would happen if someone decimated this industry. This is what Musk is doing to the CDC, she said, adding that we should not scale back the very industries that promote safety, for the illusion of efficiency.
Draper urged the Lieutenant Governor and the Governor to stand up for the Georgians who lost their jobs or are otherwise affected by these cuts.
They must “put partisanship aside, put politics aside, and maybe even set their fears aside,” she said, “and stand up and speak out for the Georgians who need their support right now!”
She also urged the government to have respect for the critical functions these agencies provide and to treat people with dignity.
She then took the media’s questions, where she rebutted the notion that DOGE promotes efficiency with its haphazard cuts and its apparent lack of planning, reminded the media of the information DOGE still hasn’t shared, and stressed that hard-working Georgians lost their sources of income and their whole careers due to Musk’s decisions.
