Senate confirms Dr. Erica Schwartz as CDC director in 51-44 vote

Published Aug 5, 08:36 PM UTC

The U.S. Senate narrowly confirmed Dr. Erica Schwartz as the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by a vote of 51-44. The confirmation fight centered on vaccine skepticism and the future of federal public health policy, particularly under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has pursued a vaccine-skeptical agenda. During her tense confirmation hearing, lawmakers from both parties pressed Schwartz on how she would handle potential political interference from the Trump administration on vaccine policy. She ultimately secured the backing of Senate HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy, though he had appeared dissatisfied with her responses. Senator Tim Kaine was the only Democrat to vote for her confirmation. Schwartz is a former U.S. Navy occupational medicine physician who served in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, achieving the rank of rear admiral, and previously served as chief medical officer of the U.S. Coast Guard and deputy surgeon general.