Two Trump health nominees falter in tense Senate hearing
Both nominees demonstrated insufficient knowledge and evaded direct answers during the Senate committee hearing.
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP) held confirmation hearings on Wednesday for two Trump administration health nominees – Erica Schwartz for CDC director and Sean Kaufman for Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. Their performances were widely seen as poor.
Schwartz's Evasive Answers
Schwartz, a highly credentialed candidate with an M.D., MPH, and law degree, as well as experience as a Navy officer, Coast Guard chief medical officer, and former deputy surgeon general, struggled to provide direct answers. Senators Bernie Sanders and Bill Cassidy pressed her on whether she would resist anti-vaccine directives from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Schwartz repeatedly avoided yes-or-no questions, prompting Cassidy to interrupt. She claimed ignorance of several CDC issues, including the lack of a current director, DOGE budget cuts, and the scaling back of food safety and tobacco control programs. She supported withdrawing from the WHO but was vague on flu vaccine mandates, saying she was "fully supportive in certain circumstances." Cassidy expressed disappointment, stating she seemed unwilling to answer.
Kaufman's Vaccine Controversy
Kaufman, with 30 years of experience in pandemic preparedness and biosafety, faced scrutiny over past anti-vaccine comments. Reports revealed he claimed vaccines cause autism, promoted "natural immunity," opposed mandates, and referred to supporters of the hepatitis B birth dose as "pedophiles." He also said he would "rather perish" than vaccinate his children against COVID-19. During the hearing, he backpedaled, noting his three children received the hepatitis B vaccine. An angry Cassidy, a hepatologist, shouted: "Why would you repeat those damn lies?" Kaufman admitted deleting a LinkedIn post but argued it was ambiguous.
Confusion on mRNA Research
Kaufman baffled senators by supporting Kennedy's cancellation of hundreds of millions in mRNA research grants while simultaneously calling for more mRNA research. Senator John Hickenlooper called this "incredulous," and Senator Patty Murray noted the contradiction. Cassidy, summing up the hearing, said he felt "flummoxed" and "flabbergasted" by Kaufman's responses. No vote was taken; the nominees' fates remain uncertain.
