Scott Burris, Professor of Law, Temple Law School, Christopher Robertson, Professor of Law, Boston University School of Law, and Gene Matthews, Network for Public Health Law discuss the current proposals to increase the independence of public health agencies such as the CDC. Political manipulation and lack of leadership have seriously jeopardized public trust and even agency competence. Topics include prior examples of the politicization of public health, policymakers failing to understand social and behavioral science, and how an independent agency could be protected and funded. For more on this topic see The “Legal Epidemiology” of Pandemic Control and Designing an Independent Public Health Agency. See also Vol.2 of our COVID-19 Policy Playbook, Legal Recommendations for a Safer, More Equitable Future.