Senator Bill Cassidy supports Erica Schwartz for CDC director after committee discussions on vaccine misinformation.
Senator Bill Cassidy expressed his support for the nomination of Dr. Erica Schwartz to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The decision followed extended talks between federal officials and the committee chair regarding the removal of vaccine misinformation from the CDC website. While the administration announced a modification to the website to clarify that there is no evidence linking vaccines to autism, Cassidy noted that the page still contains some lingering inaccuracies. Cassidy also signaled support for Sean Kaufman to lead the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response. Although Kaufman previously made skeptical remarks regarding mRNA vaccines, Cassidy received assurances that he would not be the ultimate decision-maker on specific vaccine policies. The committee is expected to vote on the nominations next week. This pivot by Cassidy reflects a similar strategy used last year when he supported Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health Secretary after receiving assurances that the nominee would work within established scientific systems.