Sen. Bill Cassidy advances Dr. Erica Schwartz's nomination for CDC director after addressing vaccine misinformation concerns
Sen. Bill Cassidy, Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, moved Dr. Erica Schwartz's nomination to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) forward on Thursday. The decision followed extended talks with federal officials regarding the removal of vaccine misinformation from the CDC website. While Cassidy initially expressed concerns about Schwartz's ability to stand up to political pressure, he stated he is now confident she will maintain scientific independence. To secure the nomination, the administration announced a 'good faith' modification to the CDC website, clarifying that the claim vaccines cause autism is not evidence-based. However, Cassidy noted that the website still contains some lingering misinformation. The committee also advanced the nomination of Sean Kaufman for the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response. Despite Kaufman's past skeptical remarks on mRNA vaccines, Cassidy was assured that he would not be the ultimate decision-maker on specific vaccine policies. The committee's near party-line vote on Schwartz's nomination was met with opposition from Sen. Bernie Sanders, who questioned the committee's choice of nominees.