CDC nominee Erica Schwartz tells senators she will block political interference and supports RFK Jr.’s approach

Erica Schwartz, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told senators during a Wednesday appearance that she would not “betray science” and that she supports actions taken by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., according to a Washington Times report. The exchange came as multiple senators pressed the nominee on whether the administration would seek to influence CDC decisions for political ends rather than public health research and recommendations.

The report said some U.S. senators reacted with frustration as they questioned Schwartz about safeguards meant to protect the CDC’s work from political meddling. Senators asked for clarity on how the nominee would ensure that scientific judgments, risk assessments, and public-facing guidance remain insulated from White House or political direction, the report said.

Schwartz, who is seeking Senate confirmation to head the CDC, used the hearing to argue that her approach would prioritize scientific integrity and continuity of evidence-based work, according to the report. In the same remarks, she expressed support for actions associated with Kennedy, a figure who has been central to the Trump administration’s public health messaging and policy debates.

The hearing also underscored the broader tension that has followed recent efforts to reshape public health priorities. For lawmakers, the practical stakes are whether decisions about disease surveillance, vaccine and treatment guidance, and emergency response would be governed by established scientific processes or by shifting political preferences, the report framed through the senators’ line of questioning.

No official committee vote or final confirmation timeline was included in the Washington Times account. The report described the hearing questions and Schwartz’s responses as the central developments from Wednesday, with senators seeking commitments about agency independence as the nomination moves through the confirmation process.

For the CDC, the immediate next steps are the continuation of the confirmation process, including additional rounds of questions and potential committee action, with the administration’s nominees and senators still focusing on whether CDC leadership would preserve professional autonomy while implementing the administration’s priorities. Because the matter remains in the confirmation stage, the outcome will depend on what Schwartz can document for senators regarding governance, decision-making, and oversight.