CDC director nominee Susan Monarez testifies at the Senate health committee. Photo: Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images
CDC director nominee Susan Monarez tried not to contradict Trump administration policies, while still touting her credentials as a scientist, during her confirmation hearing before the Senate health committee yesterday, Peter Sullivan wrote first on Pro.
Why it matters: Monarez is a career government researcher who's regarded as a more mainstream nominee than President Trump's first pick, Dave Weldon, whose nomination was pulled amid concern from senators about his experience and vaccine views.
She's the first CDC director-designate to face Senate confirmation under a law Congress passed in 2023.
Driving the news: Monarez tried to show her commitment to more established science while also not contradicting some of Kennedy's more controversial views.
"I have not seen a causal link between vaccines and autism," she said under questioning from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), noting that "vaccines save lives."
But when asked repeatedly by Democratic Sens. Andy Kim of New Jersey and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, she declined to directly give an example of an area where she disagreed with Kennedy.
"The secretary is doing the important work of leading a complex agency," she told Kim.
Health committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who had called for the ACIP meeting to be delayed over concerns with the new members, called on Monarez to make the panel more balanced, if confirmed.
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