Trump Pick Dr. Erica Schwartz Confirmed as CDC Director in 51-44 Senate Vote

The Senate confirmed President Trump’s nominee Dr. Erica Schwartz as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday, giving the agency its first permanent leader in nearly a year.

Schwartz was approved in a 51-44 vote, with nearly all of the support coming from Republicans. Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia crossed party lines to support her confirmation, joining Republicans in backing President Trump’s pick.

The 54-year-old physician brings decades of experience in medicine and government to the position. Schwartz previously served as deputy U.S. surgeon general during President Trump’s first administration and was chief medical officer for the U.S. Coast Guard. She also served in the Navy and the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.

President Trump nominated Schwartz in April after the administration had struggled to secure a permanent CDC director. She became Trump’s third nominee for the position, and her confirmation ends a lengthy leadership vacancy at one of the federal government’s most prominent public health agencies.

Schwartz will replace NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who had been serving as acting CDC director since February. She becomes the agency’s 22nd director and takes control as the Trump administration continues reshaping federal health policy under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

During her confirmation process, Schwartz pledged to emphasize scientific integrity and transparency while supporting Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again agenda. She also committed to leaving corporate board positions to avoid potential conflicts of interest while serving as CDC director.

Her nomination received an important boost from Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Cassidy had raised questions during the confirmation process but ultimately supported Schwartz, helping clear the way for her nomination to reach the Senate floor.

Schwartz now inherits an agency confronting several major public health challenges, including a significant measles resurgence in the United States and continuing concerns about infectious disease outbreaks overseas. At the same time, the CDC is undergoing broader changes as the Trump administration seeks to overhaul the federal government’s approach to public health.

With the Senate vote complete, President Trump has secured another key member of his health leadership team. Schwartz will now work alongside Kennedy, Bhattacharya and other administration health officials as the White House moves forward with its second-term health agenda.