JULY 15, 2026
CDC Director Nominee Erica Schwartz Appears Before Senate for Confirmation Hearing
Dr. Erica Schwartz, President Trump's nominee to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, appeared before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Wednesday for her confirmation hearing. Schwartz, a retired Rear Admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, holds degrees in medicine, law, and public health and previously served as chief medical officer of the U.S. Coast Guard and as deputy surgeon general during Trump's first term. She is Trump's third nominee for the CDC director role, which has lacked a permanent leader for most of Trump's second term.
Schwartz's confirmation hearing marked her first public appearance since Trump nominated her in mid-April. Public health professionals cited by NPR expressed optimism about her candidacy. Dr. Marcus Plescia, district health director for Fulton County — which includes Atlanta, where the CDC is headquartered — said the agency needs a director who can "step in and be a spokesperson on some of the emerging issues we're facing" and who can "establish themselves and be there to stay."
Schwartz is widely expected to clear the Senate confirmation process, according to NPR. She would inherit an agency that has gone through significant upheaval, including staffing cuts, high attrition, and political tensions with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., under whom the next CDC director would serve.
Trump's first CDC nominee, Dr. Dave Weldon, had his nomination withdrawn before his hearing after it became clear he lacked sufficient votes. His second nominee, Susan Monarez, was confirmed by the Senate but was fired by Kennedy after less than a month in the role. A collection of internal CDC emails released by Sen. Bernie Sanders, reviewed by NPR, documented the chaotic period spanning January through August 2025, including confusion over agency leadership, disorganization around workforce reductions, and efforts by Kennedy's delegates to direct vaccine policy outcomes counter to the legal and scientific advice of CDC scientists and general counsel.