Senate Committee Moves Erica Schwartz Nomination for CDC Director Forward

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee voted to advance Dr. Erica Schwartz’s nomination as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Schwartz, a 54-year-old with medical and law degrees and experience as deputy surgeon general and a Coast Guard leader, would become the agency’s 22nd director if confirmed by the full Senate.

Committee chair Sen. Bill Cassidy said he had spoken with Schwartz after a contentious hearing and expressed confidence in her judgment, stating, "I’m confident that she knows what she is doing and will stand against those who do not." The vote was largely along party lines.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, who opposed the nomination, warned that the administration needs officials willing to resist “anti-science” influences. Public-health groups, including the National Public Health Coalition, said Schwartz’s answers at the hearing were vague and called for written commitments on scientific independence and vaccine policy.

Schwartz pledged to “never betray the science” but did not provide detailed assurances on specific CDC programs, such as a website addressing vaccine safety concerns. The American Public Health Association’s executive director, Dr. Georges Benjamin, noted that while Schwartz is qualified, her responses seemed aimed at appeasing multiple factions.

The nomination follows a period of turnover at the CDC, where more than 3,000 staff members have left and several acting directors have served under the current administration. The committee also advanced a separate health-policy nominee, Sean Kaufman, whose past statements on vaccines drew criticism from some senators.