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4w ago

Monarez Backs Vaccines but Sidesteps Disagreement With RFK Jr. at Senate Hearing

The Senate HELP committee will vote on advancing her nomination after she affirmed vaccine safety without publicly opposing Kennedy’s revamp of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel.

Dr. Susan Monarez, President Donald Trump's choice to lead the CDC, testified before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on Wednesday.
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 25: Susan Monarez, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), testifies during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on June 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. Monarez is a health scientist with a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology who previously served as the Deputy Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health. (Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
Susan Monarez, President Donald Trump's nominee to be director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, arrives to testify before the Senate HELP Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Susan Monarez, President Donald Trump's nominee to be director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, arrives to testify before the Senate HELP Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Overview

  • Monarez told senators she believes vaccines save lives and said she has not seen any causal link between immunizations and autism.
  • She declined to criticize Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s decision to fire all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and noted only that it should rely on science and evidence.
  • If confirmed, Monarez would be the first CDC director without a medical degree since 1953, holding a doctorate in microbiology and immunology with extensive biomedical research experience.
  • Under Kennedy’s leadership, the CDC has faced proposed budget cuts of about $3.6 billion, a layoff plan that eliminated 2,400 positions and the realignment of several public health programs.
  • Republicans hold a one-vote majority on the HELP committee and her nomination needs only a simple majority to move to a full Senate confirmation vote.