Erica Schwartz Nominated To Head CDC

The Erica Schwartz nomination was actually Secretary Kennedy's:

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5841154-kennedy-trump-cdc-nominee/

RFK Jr. says he did not speak to Trump about CDC nominee
By Nathaniel Weixel - April 21, 2026

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. did not speak to President Trump about nominating Erica Schwartz to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, he told lawmakers Tuesday.

Kennedy told a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee that he met with Schwartz on “multiple occasions” prior to her being tapped as the new nominee, including to discuss her views on vaccinations.

But Kennedy said it was HHS chief counselor Chris Klomp who spoke with Trump about the nomination. He also said HHS suggested Schwartz as a candidate to the White House.

Klomp was elevated to the agency’s No. 2 spot in February, reportedly to help the White House instill a stabilizing force and message discipline at HHS ahead of the midterm elections.

Schwartz, who served as deputy surgeon general during the first Trump administration and spent much of her career in health roles in the U.S. military, has no public ties to the anti-vaccine movement.

Public health leaders and advocates breathed sighs of relief when Trump announced her as the nominee late last week, and her nomination was seen as a clear sign that the administration is putting pressure on Kennedy to sideline his controversial vaccine policies due to political concerns in an election year.

But there is concern that Schwartz will need to be granted full autonomy from Kennedy to succeed in steadying the CDC and reinforcing its reputation as the leading scientific and public health agency.

Her predecessor, Susan Monarez, boasted similar public health credentials but was fired after less than a month on the job because she clashed with Kennedy over vaccine moves.

Under questioning from Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.), Kennedy declined to commit to implementing any vaccine guidance issued by Schwartz.

“You’ll probably fire her” like Monarez, Ruiz said, “because you will not accept recommendations based on science.”

Kennedy then denied he had been sidelined by the White House.

“That’s not true,” Kennedy said. “You’re not getting truths.”

“How does that make you feel, Mr. Secretary?” Ruiz continued. “You must be aware of that. It must be nerve-wracking, especially after AG [Pam] Bondi, and Secretaries [Kristi] Noem and [Lori] Chavez-Deremer were fired for making the president look bad.”

“You’re making stuff up,” Kennedy shot back.

Dr. Erica Schwartz Was Confirmed As CDC Director Today:

https://nypost.com/2026/08/05/us-news/dr-erica-schwartz-confirmed-as-cdc-director/

Dr. Erica Schwartz confirmed as CDC director following monthslong vacancy
By Associated Press - August 5, 2026

The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Dr. Erica Schwartz as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, placing her in charge of a public health agency beleaguered by political meddling and low morale.

Schwartz was confirmed in a 51-44 vote. The 54-year-old becomes the 22nd leader of the Atlanta-based CDC, which is charged with protecting Americans from preventable health threats, and the agency’s first confirmed director in nearly a year. Her resume includes medical and law degrees, a stint as deputy surgeon general, and a leadership position at the U.S. Coast Guard.

Schwartz’s nomination appeared to be on shaky ground after a hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee last month. The chairman, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and others questioned whether she would be willing to stand up to Republican President Donald Trump’s health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., if he ordered CDC to do something unsupported by science and good public health practice.

But weeks later, Cassidy said he had spoken with Schwartz after that hearing and with others who knew her, and said he had gained confidence in her.

The CDC has been in turmoil since Trump returned to office last year.

Largely due to layoffs and resignations, the agency has lost 3,000-plus employees, more than one-quarter of its workforce. Morale has plummeted as a succession of mostly temporary leaders have come and gone. The front office has been staffed by political appointees with little or no training in medicine or public health.

When Schwartz was nominated in April, public health experts were cautiously optimistic, citing her background. They also noted Schwartz was the choice of Trump and not Kennedy, who is a leading voice in the anti-vaccine movement before he was tapped to oversee the CDC and other federal health agencies.

Schwartz was the third Trump nominee for CDC director in the past 18 months.

The first was a former Florida congressman, Dr. David Weldon. His Senate hearing in March 2025 was canceled an hour before it was to begin. Weldon said at the time that he had been told not enough senators were willing to vote for him.

The White House then moved on to Susan Monarez, who had been serving as the CDC’s acting director. Monarez was confirmed by the Senate, but ousted from the job in less than a month. Trump administration officials said she was not aligned with the president’s agenda, so they terminated her.

Since then, there have been a series of HHS officials as acting CDC director.

The CDC position was one of several leadership vacancies among federal health agencies, including the U.S. surgeon general and the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.