New CDC Director confirmed in first ever Senate vote
WASHINGTON, DC- JUNE 25: Susan Monarez takes part in a hearing on her nomination for Director of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention before the Seante Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions at the Dirksen Senate Office Building
WASHINGTON D.C. - The Senate confirmed Susan Monarez to lead the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as reported by the Associated Press.
Susan Monarez confirmed as new CDC Director
What we know:
Monarez, 50, was named acting director in January and then nominated in March after Trump abruptly withdrew his first choice, David Weldon.
The Senate voted 51-47 to confirm Monarez on Tuesday. Both Georgia Senators, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, voted no.
This is the first Senate confirmation vote for the CDC Director. Prior to 2023, the position did not require Senate approval.
The agency, based in Atlanta, suffered widespread staff cuts, key resignations and a heated controversy over long-standing CDC vaccine policies upended by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The AP reported that Monarez said she values vaccines and rigorous scientific evidence at her confirmation hearing, but she largely dodged questions about her dealings with Kennedy, an anti-vaccine activist who has sought to dismantle some of the agency’s previous protocols and decisions.
She holds a doctorate in microbiology and immunology from the University of Wisconsin, and did postdoctoral research at Stanford University. Prior to the CDC, Monarez was largely known for her government roles in health technology and biosecurity.
Georgia Senators react to CDC Director vote
What they're saying:
Both Georgia Senators reacted to Monarez's confirmation in statements.
Sen. Warnock said, "This Administration's attacks on the CDC are bad for our national security, Georgia workers, and our fight to cure diseases like cancer. I refuse to stand by while President Trump attacks our health."
Sen. Ossoff released a lengthy statement on the confirmation.
He said, in part, "I congratulate Dr. Monarez on her Senate confirmation and sincerely hope her tenure at CDC will be a success for the Nation, the State of Georgia, and the CDC... After meeting with Dr. Monarez, I lacked sufficient confidence in her independence and that she would fight for the CDC and its core mission: public health. Accordingly, I voted against her confirmation. I nevertheless stand ready to work with her to support the CDC, its vital mission, and the CDC’s workforce."
The Source: Information in this article came from the Associated Press, Sen. Warnock's and Ossoff's offices and past FOX 5 reporting.