President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Erica Schwartz, expressed support for vaccines, including mRNA-based covid shots, during a Senate hearing on Wednesday. While she affirmed the safety and effectiveness of these technologies, her testimony did not dispel concerns that the agency has lost independence from the White House.
“I have been vaccinating people throughout my entire career in uniformed services,” Schwartz told the committee. “I believe in vaccines.” She added that she does “believe mRNA technology is safe and effective.”
The nominee emphasized her commitment to following evidence. “I will follow the science wherever it leads,” Schwartz said. “My first priority will be restoring trust in public health institutions.” She also stated that she would “never compromise” on science.
However, the relationship between the CDC and the White House remains tense. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist, ousted Trump’s previous CDC director, Susan Monarez, after she sparred with him over vaccines. Kennedy has baselessly called mRNA vaccines the deadliest ever made.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, a physician and committee chairman, pressed Schwartz on whether she would push back against rhetoric or policies not based in science. Cassidy, who has quarreled with Kennedy over vaccines, asked if unbiased leaders make decisions based on science or politics. “This is not a theoretical,” he said.
“We need unbiased leaders who make decisions based upon science, not politics or ideology,” Cassidy said. Schwartz replied that the president would never ask her to break the law, but she would always follow it.
A Hard Line on Independence
Concerns about agency independence ran high during the hearing. Democrats and some Republicans doubt Schwartz will maintain more autonomy than Monarez, who was fired in August after refusing to sign off on changes Kennedy demanded to vaccine recommendations and personnel cuts.
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Sen. Bernie Sanders highlighted a series of emails showing Kennedy pressured Monarez to alter CDC guidance on a universal childhood flu vaccine. “She stood up for protecting the well-being of the American people,” Sanders said of the former director.
Public health advocates have mixed reactions to the nomination. Georges Benjamin, the CEO of the American Public Health Association, endorsed Schwartz in April, stating she possesses the background to understand the CDC must be guided by evidence-based science. The APHA previously fought many of Trump’s initiatives and issued a news release titled “Kennedy’s attack on public health must be stopped” after Monarez’s resignation.
While Schwartz has support in the public health community, she must handle a difficult political setting. She almost certainly needs Cassidy’s support for confirmation, which requires publicly committing to vaccination and mainstream science.
If confirmed, Schwartz will replace Jay Bhattacharya, who is currently performing the duties of CDC director but is not officially the acting leader. Bhattacharya also serves as the director of the National Institutes of Health.
During the hearing, Schwartz faced questions regarding her stance on the FDA’s prior authorization process for medical devices. She addressed the requirement for insurers to approve certain treatments before patients receive them.
Insurers have promised to change how they handle these requests, though the specifics of the plan remain under review by the agency. The process has faced criticism for delaying care and creating administrative burdens for patients and providers alike.
