US Senate panel advances Trump CDC pick Schwartz
XLV•Public health challenges and next steps
Schwartz is set to inherit an agency confronting the worst U.S. measles resurgence in three decades, driven by falling childhood immunization rates, an international Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, and the largest U.S. foodborne illness outbreak in recent years.
Her chances improved last week when Senator Bill Cassidy, the committee's Republican chairman, signaled support, reversing course after earlier questioning whether she would stand up to Kennedy on vaccine policy.
Trump nominated Schwartz, his first-term deputy surgeon general, in April. The CDC has lacked a permanent leader for all but a month of his second term.
The committee also voted 12-11 along party lines to advance Sean Kaufman, Trump's pick for Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response.
The full Senate is unlikely to confirm either nominee before its August recess, meaning a final vote may not come until September.
