CDC nominee Erica Schwartz faces tough Senate hearing, vows to 'never betray the science'

President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) appeared to fall short of securing the necessary support to take over the public health agency during a lengthy and often tense confirmation hearing on Wednesday.

Dr. Erica Schwartz told lawmakers on the U.S. Senate Committee overseeing health policy that she would "never betray the science." However, she did not appear to win the trust of Democrats or key Republicans needed to advance her nomination.

Key Republican Expresses Concerns

Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.) repeatedly questioned Schwartz about whether she would follow the example set by former CDC Director Susan Monarez, who testified last year that she was fired after refusing to pre-approve vaccine recommendations or fire career officials without cause.

"We need unbiased leaders who make decisions based upon science, not politics or ideology, and are committed to protecting children's health," Cassidy said in his opening statement.

More than two hours later, at the hearing's conclusion, Cassidy told Schwartz he believed administration officials had overprepared her and that some of her answers missed the mark.

"I felt like you were always trying not to answer my question, which was disappointing," he said.

Cassidy—or any Republican on the committee, where the party holds a thin 12-11 majority—could effectively block Schwartz's nomination if Democrats unanimously oppose it.

Restoring Trust

Schwartz, who served as a Navy occupational medicine physician (earning the rank of admiral) and deputy surgeon general, testified that if confirmed, she would work to rebuild the CDC's reputation among all Americans.

"My first priority will be restoring trust in public health institutions through radical transparency and unwavering scientific integrity," Schwartz said. "As CDC director, my sacred responsibility is to provide the American people with public health guidance that is clear, honest and evidence-based."

Schwartz said she would work to "modernize the CDC into a near real-time public health enterprise" while ensuring local, state, and tribal governments become the "operational backbone of American public health."

In response to questions from both Democrats and Republicans on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Schwartz testified that she "accept(s) that evidence" that vaccines do not lead to an autism diagnosis. She stated that mRNA vaccine "technology is safe and effective."

Tracking Abortions

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) asked Schwartz to investigate potential health implications for people living near data centers, noting that his constituents regularly ask about the issue and he does not know what to tell them.

Schwartz said she did not know whether the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (housed within the CDC) had conducted any research on potential health implications of data centers. If confirmed, she committed to working with Hawley and his staff to examine the issue.

Hawley also asked whether Schwartz would ensure the CDC secures data from every state on when and how abortions take place.

"The CDC collects data on abortions that are committed in the United States of America through a system called the Abortion Reporting System," Hawley said. "This system is voluntary, and so a number of states, not coincidentally large blue states, do not turn over any data, so that it's difficult to get a picture of just how many abortions and under what circumstances are committed in this country."

Schwartz testified she would look into the issue if confirmed, adding that "abortion surveillance is absolutely a critical component of what the CDC is currently doing."

"But I also want to also make sure that certain states are not conflating emergency services and hiding abortions in that emergency services case definition," she said. "We need to make sure we're pulling out true abortions and making sure that we're really having clear case definitions regarding abortions, so the data is actually accurate."

Cyclosporiasis Outbreak

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) asked about the ongoing outbreak of cyclosporiasis and the CDC's disease monitoring programs during her round of questions.

Schwartz said she believed "that one of the core missions of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is tracking outbreaks domestically and also internationally."

When Murray asked whether there would be "any scientific or medical justification for CDC having eliminated mandatory reporting of that parasite," Schwartz said she was unaware that the Trump administration had moved to make reporting of cyclosporiasis optional last year.