Dr. Susan Monarez confirmed as CDC director in a first from Senate
FILE-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 Di
Dr. Susan Monarez was confirmed to be President Donald Trump’s director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Senate confirmed Monarez on Tuesday in a 51-47 vote. The 50-year-old was named acting director in January and then tapped as the nominee in March after Trump withdrew his first choice, David Weldon.
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During her Tuesday confirmation hearing, Monarez said she values vaccines and precise scientific evidence, but the Associated Press reported that she avoided questions about her dealings with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The AP reported that Monarez became the first CDC director to pass through Senate confirmation under a 2023 law. The CDC has been impacted by staff cuts, resignations of key officials and is mired in controversy over longstanding CDC vaccine policies upended by Kennedy Jr., an antivaccine activist.
Who is Dr. Susan Monarez?
The backstory:
Dr. Susan Monarez has a doctorate in microbiology and immunology from the University of Wisconsin, and is a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University, according to the Associated Press. Before working at the CDC, Monarez was largely known for her government roles in health technology and biosecurity.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Associated Press. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.