CDC nominee Erica Schwartz faces Senate hearing amid agency turmoil
What's at stake: If confirmed, Schwartz would become Trump's third CDC pick and take over an agency without a permanent chief for most of his second term.
Dr. Erica Schwartz appeared before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Wednesday as President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Schwartz, a retired rear admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and former Coast Guard chief medical officer, would become Trump's third choice for the job if confirmed. The CDC has lacked a permanent director for most of Trump's second term after earlier nominations unraveled. Schwartz would report to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose vaccine policy agenda has fueled scrutiny over whether the next CDC chief can act independently on outbreaks, immunization guidance and other public health threats.