Health nominations stall in Senate committee
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Schwartz testifies at her nomination hearing. Photo: Finn Gomez/Getty Images
The Trump administration's backlog of high-level health appointments isn't getting any smaller after the Senate health committee postponed votes yesterday on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director nominee and a divisive pick for an assistant health secretary post.
Why it matters: CDC nominee Erica Schwartz probably will have enough Republican votes to be approved after committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said he'll support her — he just couldn't get enough GOP senators to show up yesterday.
- But lingering tensions over public health policies were apparent as the committee postponed a vote on Sean Kaufman, President Trump's pick for assistant secretary for preparedness and response, after he faced tough questions on past anti-vaccine statements.
The big picture: The committee is expected to try the Schwartz vote next week. It's a necessary step to reset a course for the beleaguered public health agency that's been without a full-time political leader for almost a year.
- Cassidy, who grilled Schwartz about whether she could be independent at last week's confirmation hearing, said Thursday that he was confident that "she knows what she is doing and will stand against those who do not."
- Yet some senators said their concerns intensified after Schwartz sidestepped questions about political interference or whether she would alert them if forced to adopt unscientific policies.
- "While I respect Dr. Schwartz' achievements, I have very little confidence in her ability to keep the job while maintaining independence from the pressures of this administration," Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) said in a statement.
Some public health experts were openly disappointed with Schwartz's testimony last week, predicting the former deputy surgeon general wouldn't stand up to Trump or Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at a time when the nation is facing public health threats like cyclospora and measles.
- Physician-author Jeremy Faust noted she didn't give clear statements debunking links between vaccines and autism and didn't appear to know the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health is, for all practical purposes, closed.
- Faust noted Schwartz also claimed to be unaware of a recent Health and Human Services policy spurning mRNA vaccine research.
Yes, but: Republican senators appeared more divided over Kaufman, who has a history of questioning vaccines.
- Cassidy expressed frustration with Kaufman's previous statements on vaccine safety during his confirmation hearing last week.
- A committee spokesperson said on Thursday that conversations with the administration for the path forward are ongoing.
There are more Trump health picks that will help fill the Senate's calendar after August recess.
- They include Chris Klomp for deputy health secretary, Nicole Saphier for surgeon general and Ge Bai for assistant health secretary for planning and evaluation. The White House also is vetting finalists for commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.
