AFT President Randi Weingarten on the Trump Administration Banning the CDC from Using Certain Words

WASHINGTON—Statement of AFT President Randi Weingarten on news that the Trump administration is banning the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from using certain words:

“First came alternative facts, and now the Trump government is banning words. Authoritarians limit speech and attack knowledge. What’s next? Banning books? This is 2017: We value diversity, care for the vulnerable, and believe in science and evidence; entitlements offer a needed safety net; and no one should pretend fetuses or transgender people don’t exist. This move to ban words is undemocratic, violates the First Amendment, and flies in the face of scientific and academic standards and research. We must fight it.”