Senate Health Committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-La.) threw his support behind Dr. Erica Schwartz, President Trump's nominee to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, during a Thursday morning hearing. But the scheduled committee vote on her nomination was delayed because of attendance problems.
Cassidy, who had pressed Schwartz last week on whether she could resist political interference and push back against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., announced his endorsement after HHS made a concession. The department modified the CDC's vaccine-autism webpage, which Kennedy had ordered changed last year to include a disclaimer that the claim vaccines cause autism "is not an evidence-based claim."
"I'm confident that she knows what she is doing and will stand against those who do not," Cassidy said as the committee opened. He described the website change as "a sign of good faith" and acknowledged that more work is needed to restore public trust in U.S. health agencies. "There's more to do to repair the damage that has been done to the U.S. public health response, but this is a start," he added.
Cassidy's backing marks a turnaround from last week, when he appeared unsatisfied with Schwartz's answers on her ability to stand up to Kennedy. The Louisiana Republican, who lost his primary to Rep. Julia Letlow—a Trump-backed candidate—has emerged as one of Kennedy's most vocal GOP critics since voting to confirm him. His support now makes Schwartz's path to the full Senate likely, though the vote was pushed to next week.
The committee's ranking member, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), announced he would oppose Schwartz. While he praised her career as a public health civil servant, he said he did not share Cassidy's confidence that she could resist pressure from Kennedy. "Will we have people in the Trump administration who have the guts to stand up to people who are anti-science and into conspiracy theories? And I am afraid that right now, within HHS, we have a secretary who will not tolerate this," Sanders said. "I will be voting against Dr. Schwartz because we need people in this country who are going to stand up, protect the American people, and I don't think you can see that right now with Secretary Kennedy in his position."
Schwartz's predecessor, Susan Monarez, was fired after less than a month on the job for pushing back against Kennedy's vaccine agenda. The episode has raised questions about the independence of the CDC under the current administration, especially as the U.S. faces ongoing public health challenges. The nomination comes amid broader scrutiny of Trump's health picks, including Sean Kaufman, who was tapped to lead the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response. A committee spokesperson said "there are ongoing conversations with the administration on the path forward for Mr. Kaufman's nomination" after his hearing last week raised concerns about his views on vaccines.
Kaufman, who had posted on LinkedIn that he would "rather perish" than give his children the COVID-19 vaccine, later said he believes "vaccines save lives." But he waffled when pressed on the HHS decision to defund mRNA vaccine research and cited rare adverse events from COVID-19 shots. The committee delayed a vote on his nomination due to a lack of support.
The delays highlight the political tightrope the Trump administration is walking as it seeks to install loyalists at key health agencies while managing Senate concerns about scientific integrity. For Schwartz, Cassidy's endorsement provides a crucial lifeline, but the postponed vote underscores the lingering attendance and procedural challenges that could slow her confirmation.
