Erica Schwartz, the Trump administration's nominee to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, faced sharp questioning during her Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday. Senators pressed her on whether she would resist pressure from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent anti-vaccine activist, over vaccine policies.
Schwartz pledges scientific integrity
Schwartz, a deputy surgeon general during the first Trump administration, told the Senate health committee she would 'never betray the science' and promised 'radical transparency' to rebuild public trust. However, she repeatedly deflected questions about handling potential conflicts with Kennedy, who has overseen months of turmoil at the agency and made controversial changes to vaccine policies.
Committee Chair Senator Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican and physician, emphasized the need for a CDC director who would 'actually stand up to crazy, stupid things being said that undermine faith in immunization.' Schwartz responded that Kennedy 'will absolutely allow me to be CDC director.'
Questions on vaccine skepticism
Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan pressed Schwartz on whether she would suspend a flu vaccination campaign during a deadly flu season if ordered by Kennedy. Schwartz declined to answer, calling it hypothetical, but Hassan countered that it was not hypothetical, citing internal CDC emails released by Senator Bernie Sanders documenting such a directive from Kennedy to CDC staff last year. Schwartz agreed the CDC should prioritize infectious diseases, noting 'mission creep' at the agency.
Schwartz said she had not seen a current CDC webpage suggesting a link between childhood vaccines and autism but declined to commit to removing it, despite agreeing that existing medical evidence found no such link. The page, updated last year, drew backlash for bypassing normal scientific clearance. She also was unaware that CDC programs on smoking prevention and vaccination promotion had been curtailed.
Background and future challenges
Schwartz, a rear admiral in the US Coast Guard, holds a medical degree from Brown University, a master's in public health from Uniformed Services University, and a law degree from the University of Maryland. She previously oversaw 41 clinics and 150 sick bays in the military, promoting vaccination policies for service members.
If confirmed, Schwartz would be the Trump administration's third CDC director nominee. The first, former Florida congressman David Weldon, was withdrawn in March 2025 before his hearing. Acting director Susan Monarez was confirmed but fired less than a month later for not aligning with the administration's agenda, triggering resignations of senior CDC leaders in protest of Kennedy's approach.
