Trump nominates Dr Erica Schwartz, ex-deputy surgeon general, as CDC director | Trump administration
Donald Trump has chosen Erica Schwartz to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ending a months-long search for the permanent head of the troubled public health agency.
Trump explained his selection on Truth Social: “I am pleased to announce new leadership of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is my honor to nominate the incredibly talented Dr. Erica Schwartz, MD, JD, MPH, as my CDC Director.” wrote. “He’s a STAR!”
Schwartz must receive approval from the Senate before assuming the post.
Schwartz, a Rear Admiral in the U.S. Coast Guard, previously served as deputy surgeon general during Trump’s first administration. He served in the U.S. Navy, Public Health Service Corps, and U.S. Coast Guard for more than two decades. His tenure as deputy surgeon general lasted from 2019 to 2021.
Schwartz is a physician with a background that includes a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering and a medical degree from Brown University. He 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.
Jay Bhattacharya had been acting CDC director, but his term ended last month under federal law. The law, known as the Vacancies Act, restricts acting officials from serving longer than 210 days in roles that require Senate confirmation.
Since Trump returned to office in January, US Surgeon General Robert F Kennedy Jr and his team have taken public and private steps to slow vaccine research and guidance.
During the squad meeting In March, Bhattacharya noted several challenges the agency has faced in the past year, including repeated layoffs, declining staff morale and an incident in which a gunman opened fire outside the CDC’s Atlanta campus, resulting in the death of a police officer.
