Burgess in the Capitol in May. Photo: Kent Nishimura/Getty Images
Former Rep. Michael Burgess is being mentioned as a pick for CDC director after Dave Weldon's nomination was abruptly withdrawn the day of his confirmation hearing, multiple sources confirmed to Axios.
Why it matters: Burgess has supported vaccines and was vocal about the need for the COVID-19 shots and other benefits of Operation Warp Speed during the pandemic. That would be a stark contrast to Weldon's anti-vaccine views.
- And it could get Burgess a more favorable reception from GOP Senators on the HELP Committee who were skeptical of Weldon.
- The White House didn't comment.
Catch up quick: Burgess was an OB-GYN and a House member who represented a Dallas-area district for more than 20 years. He retired at the end of the 118th Congress.
- He was also a prominent member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and a chair of the GOP Doctors Caucus, where he was vocal on health issues, many related to physicians.
- Burgess' priorities in the last Congress included changing how the CBO would score bills to account for preventive health savings, revamping the Medicare physician payment system and lifting restrictions on physician-owned hospitals.
- In the public health arena, he was active in reauthorizing the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act in 2018.
What we're watching: GOP lawmakers have already been proposing potential overhauls of how the CDC is organized and how much authority Congress should have over the agency.
- HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has indicated he may change vaccine policy or restructure the way CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is set up.
