CDC nominee Erica Schwartz pressed on whether she will resist RFK Jr’s vaccine agenda | US Senate
Erica Schwartz, the Trump administration’s latest nominee to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), faced harsh questioning from senators who pressed her to say whether she would stand up to her boss, health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr.
At his confirmation hearing Wednesday, Schwartz, the first Trump administration deputy surgeon general, told the Senate health committee that he would “never betray science” and vowed to use “radical transparency” to rebuild public trust. But he has repeatedly dodged questions about how he would handle pressure from Kennedy, one of the leaders of the anti-vaccine movement who oversaw months of turmoil at the agency and made controversial changes to U.S. vaccine policies.
“We need a CDC director who will actually stand up to the crazy, stupid things that are being said that undermine faith in vaccination,” said senator Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican and physician who chairs the committee.
Schwartz told him that Kennedy “would definitely let me be CDC director.”
The committee seemed likely to describe Schwartz, 54, who was nominated by Trump in April, as “incredibly talented” in a post on Truth Social. Kennedy later endorsed that choice but refused to commit to supporting any vaccine guidance he might issue.
During the hearing, several senators focused their questions on Kennedy’s vaccine skepticism.
Democratic senator Maggie Hassan asked whether Kennedy would suspend the flu vaccine campaign during a deadly flu season if he directed her to do so.
“Senator, I’m not speaking in hypotheticals,” Schwartz responded.
“It’s not hypothetical. It happened,” Hassan said. internal CDC emailsA document released by senator Bernie Sanders in June documents one such directive Kennedy gave to CDC staff last year.
Schwartz said he agrees that the CDC should prioritize responding to infectious diseases. “I think over time there have been some flaws in the CDC’s mission and trying to be all things to all people,” he said.
He said he has not seen a current CDC web page suggesting a link between childhood vaccines and autism. Still, he refused to commit to removing the page, even though he acknowledged that available medical evidence failed to find a link.
A change to the CDC’s website last year drew backlash from scientists and advocates; CDC staff said the updated page did not go through the normal scientific approval process.
Schwartz said he was also unaware that CDC programs working to prevent smoking and promote vaccinations were being restricted. Meanwhile, if approved, it has agreed to study whether AI data centers cause health problems and the possibility of establishing a World Trade Center Health Program clinical center in Florida.
Schwartz, a Rear Admiral in the U.S. Coast Guard, previously served as deputy surgeon general during Trump’s first administration. He also served in the U.S. Navy and Public Health Service Corps for more than 20 years. While in the military, he oversaw the organization’s system of 41 clinics and 150 infirmaries, as well as policies that encouraged vaccinations for soldiers.
The doctor has a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering and a medical degree from Brown University. Schwartz also holds a master’s degree in public health from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and a law degree from the University of Maryland.
If confirmed, Schwartz would take the reins of the CDC after a tumultuous period of leadership change, making it the Trump administration’s third pick to lead the agency. The first nominee, former Florida congressman David Weldon, was withdrawn by the White House in March 2025, just before his confirmation hearing.
Management then nominated acting director Susan Monarez; This candidate was approved but dismissed less than a month later because he did not fit the administration’s agenda.
Monarez’s firing triggered the resignation of several top CDC leaders, who resigned in protest of Kennedy’s approach to vaccines and his management style.
