In marathon testimony to Congress, which wrapped up Wednesday, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. insisted he supports President Donald Trump’s nominee for director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — but stopped short of promising that she’d be able to make vaccine policy decisions independently if she’s confirmed.
He refused Tuesday to commit to following vaccine recommendations by Erica Schwartz, the White House’s surprisingly mainstream pick to lead the nation’s public health agency. But when Sen. Bill Cassidy asked on Wednesday whether Schwartz would have the right to make decisions independently of other CDC political appointees, or even to fire them, Kennedy said yes.
If the Senate confirms Schwartz, a former deputy surgeon general, she would take the reins of the CDC at a time of unprecedented upheaval for the beleaguered agency, which has faced widespread layoffs, leadership instability, a standoff with the medical establishment and a shooting last year at its Atlanta headquarters.