Senate Confirms Erica Schwartz as CDC Director Amid Partisan Vote

The U.S. Senate confirmed Dr. Erica Schwartz as the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday, ending a year-long period of acting leadership at the agency. The 51-44 vote fell largely along party lines, with most Republicans supporting the nomination and most Democrats opposing, though Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia broke with his party to vote in favor.

Schwartz, a former deputy surgeon general under President Donald Trump, previously served as a Navy physician and chief medical officer for the Coast Guard. She succeeds a series of acting directors who have led the CDC since August 2025 after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed former director Susan Monarez.

In her new role, Schwartz will oversee national public-health initiatives, including vaccine recommendations and responses to disease outbreaks. She inherits a measles surge—the highest in 35 years—and a growing cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to shredded iceberg lettuce, as well as ongoing challenges related to vaccine hesitancy.

During her confirmation hearing, Schwartz affirmed that vaccines are safe and effective but declined to comment on specific policy changes made by Health Secretary Kennedy, citing the limits of her nomination scope. Senator Bill Cassidy, chair of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, accused her of evading questions about confronting political interference.

"We need a CDC director that will actually stand up to statements that undermine faith in immunization," Cassidy said.

Cassidy later expressed confidence in Schwartz after further discussions, stating, "I am confident that she knows what she is doing and will stand against those who do not."

The National Public Health Coalition, a group of former CDC employees, announced it would not support the nomination, citing insufficient commitments to protect CDC guidance from political pressure. HHS spokesperson Emily Hilliard defended Schwartz, saying her record speaks for itself and characterizing claims of evasiveness as political theater.

Kennedy, who has promoted controversial vaccine policies, previously altered the childhood immunization schedule—a change later blocked by a federal judge—and replaced the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel with members skeptical of COVID-19 vaccines. Schwartz pledged that, as director, she would provide "clear, honest and evidence-based" public-health guidance and would not betray scientific standards.