CDC Nominee Erica Schwartz Faces Questions About Contending with Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Erica Schwartz, the Trump administration’s most recent nominee to lead the Centers for Disease Control kijken and Prevention (CDC), was asked by senators whether she would confront her boss, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

During her confirmation hearing, Schwartz—who served as deputy surgeon general in the first Trump administration—stated that she would never betray science and pledged to employ “radical transparency” to rebuild public confidence. She repeatedly sidestepped questions sequenced around how she would respond to pressure from Kennedy, an outspoken anti‑vaccine figure who has overseen months of upheaval at the agency and initiated contentious changes to U.S. vaccine policy.

“We need a CDC director who will actually stand up to the crazy, harmful rhetoric that erodes faith in vaccines,” said committee chair Senator Bill Cassidy, a physician’ancien.’

Schwartz replied that Kennedy would “absolutely allow me to be CDC director”.

The committee appeared ready to approve Schwartz, 54, who was nominated by Trump in April. When Kennedy later accepted the nomination, he declined to pledge support for any vaccine guidance she might issue.

Several senators used the hearing to probe Kennedy’s vaccine skepticism. Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan asked whether Schwartz would suspend a flu vaccination campaign during a lethal flu season if directed by Kennedy. “Senator, I don’t speak in hypotheticals,” Schwartz replied. Hassan clarified, “It isn’t hypothetical. It happened,” referring to internal CDC emails released by Senator Bernie Sanders in June that documented such a directive from Kennedy last year.

Schwartz acknowledged that the CDC should prioritize responses to infectious diseases and expressed concern that the agency has expanded beyond its core mission. She noted that she had not seen a current CDC webpage linking childhood vaccines to autism, although she declined to commit to removing any such content, stressing that existing medical evidence does not support a link.

The website change, made last year, drew criticism from scientists and advocates; CDC staff said the updated page had bypassed normal scientific review procedures.

Schwartz also said she was unaware that CDC programs aimed at reducing smoking and promoting vaccinations had been curtailed. If confirmed, she pledged to investigate whether AI data centers pose health risks and to explore the possibility of establishing a World Trade Center Health Program clinical center in Florida.

A rear admiral in the U.S. Coast Guard, Schwartz previously served as deputy surgeon general during Trump’s first administration. Over 20 years she held roles in the U.S. Navy, the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and managedxfe e 41 clinics and 150 sick bays—implementing vaccination policies for service members.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering, a medical degree from Brown University, a Master of Public Health from the Uniformed Services University of the Health SciencesELLOW, and a law degree from the University of Maryland.

If confirmed, Schwartz would assume leadership of the CDC after a period marked by frequent leadership turnover. The Trump administration’s third nominee for the agency followed the withdrawal of former Florida congressman David Weldon in March 2025 and the short‑lived tenure of acting director Susan Monarez, whose dismissal prompted resignations of several senior CDC officials protesting Kennedy’s vaccine strategy and management style.

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