Senate confirms Schwartz for CDC director

The Senate confirmed physician Erica Schwartz as director of the Centers for Disease Control on Wednesday, fifty-one to forty-four, in a mostly party-line vote. Per Axios, she becomes the agency's first full-time political leader in nearly a year—but significant questions about her independence from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Junior dominated the process. During her July hearing, Schwartz hedged when asked whether she'd report to Congress if instructed to adopt harmful or unscientific policies, leading some public health leaders to withdraw support. The CDC now faces the challenge of rebuilding after its extended vacancy.

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