House Energy and Commerce Democrats demand answers on Norton's leave

Five days after Norton was placed on leave, Energy and Commerce Committee Democrats Frank Pallone, Diana DeGette, and Yvette Clarke wrote HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya on Nov. 18, 2025. They said the leave violated the Whistleblower Protection Act and the First Amendment, noted that an HHS official had told The New York Times she was a radical leftist placed on leave for criticizing the administration, and demanded a briefing within a week.