Senate panel advances Dr. Erica Schwartz's CDC director nomination
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee voted to move Dr. Erica Schwartz's nomination forward, pending a full Senate vote, amid debate over her willingness to resist political pressure at the CDC.
A Senate committee voted Thursday to advance Dr. Erica Schwartz’s nomination to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pending confirmation by the full Senate. The 54-year-old nominee, who holds medical and law degrees and has served as deputy surgeon general and a senior officer in the U.S. Coast Guard, would become the agency’s 22nd director if confirmed.
Senator Bill Cassidy, the committee chair, said after speaking with Schwartz and others that he trusts her judgment.
"I’m confident that she knows what she is doing and will stand against those who do not," Cassidy said.
The vote was largely along party lines, with opposition from Senator Bernie Sanders, who warned that the administration needs officials willing to challenge anti-science positions.
"Will we have people in the Trump administration who have the guts to stand up to people who are anti-science and into conspiracy theories?" Sanders asked.
Schwartz’s hearing before the full Senate health committee raised questions about whether she would resist directives from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that conflict with scientific evidence. She pledged to “never betray the science,” but did not provide written commitments on scientific independence, prompting criticism from the National Public Health Coalition.
Public-health leaders expressed mixed views. Dr. Georges Benjamin of the American Public Health Association said Schwartz is qualified and could help rebuild the CDC’s command structure and public trust, while former CDC official Dr. Daniel Jernigan warned that failure to confirm her would leave the agency without clear direction.
The nomination follows a series of short-lived CDC leadership appointments under the Trump administration, including the brief tenure of acting director Susan Monarez. The committee also approved a separate nomination for assistant health secretary for preparedness and response, despite concerns about the nominee’s past statements on vaccines.