Trump Health Nominees Struggle in Senate HELP Committee Hearing

Two nominees for senior health positions in the Trump administration struggled during a July 15 hearing before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), according to reporting from Ars Technica.

Lawmakers criticized Erica Schwartz, the nominee to lead the CDC, for dodging direct questions during the hearing. Despite credentials that include a medical degree, a law degree, and a master's in public health, Schwartz appeared uninformed about current CDC operations. During questioning, Chair Bill Cassidy (R-La.) asked Schwartz to commit to the same integrity as former CDC director Susan Monarez, who was fired by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after refusing to approve vaccine recommendations from a CDC advisory panel Kennedy had stacked with anti-vaccine allies. Schwartz did not answer the question directly, instead citing her Hippocratic oath and history of integrity. She further failed to provide a direct yes-or-no answer when Cassidy asked if the CDC director has the power to reassign employees to prevent "counterproductive" work, such as "fishing expeditions" regarding vaccine issues.

Sean Kaufman, nominated as assistant secretary for the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), faced scrutiny over his public record. While Kaufman has three decades of experience in emergency response and biosafety, Stat News recently uncovered past comments in which he raised the debunked claim that vaccines cause autism and opposed vaccine mandates. Kaufman also suggested he would rather die than have his children receive a COVID-19 vaccine and referred to supporters of the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine as "pedophiles." During the hearing, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) warned Kaufman, "You're going to have to do some strong work to clarify your views on" vaccines.