U.S. Senate Confirms Erica Schwartz as CDC Director
- Dr. Erica Schwartz was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the new director of the CDC, following her nomination by President Trump and committee approval in July.
- Schwartz has a background as deputy surgeon general, rear admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service, and chief medical officer for the U.S. Coast Guard, with degrees in medicine, public health, and law.
- During her confirmation, she pledged to provide clear, evidence-based public health guidance and emphasized commitment to science despite concerns about potential political pressure.
- She is the 22nd CDC director and the first Black woman to permanently head the agency, taking over after a period of instability and leadership turnover.
The full U.S. Senate voted Wednesday to confirm Dr. Erica Schwartz as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), placing the former deputy surgeon general in charge of the nation’s leading public health agency.
President Trump nominated Schwartz in April, with the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee advancing her nomination on July 30 in a 13-10 vote.
Schwartz, 54, previously served as deputy surgeon general from 2019 to 2021 and retired as a rear admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. She also served as chief medical officer for the U.S. Coast Guard, overseeing dozens of clinics and health programs for service members and their families.
She holds a medical degree from Brown University, a Master of Public Health from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and a law degree from the University of Maryland. Schwartz is board-certified in preventive and occupational medicine.
During her confirmation hearing, Schwartz pledged to provide Americans with clear, evidence-based public health guidance and said she would “never betray the science.” However, several senators questioned whether she would be willing to resist pressure from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. or other administration officials if their directives conflicted with scientific evidence.
Schwartz takes control of the CDC following an extended period of leadership instability. She succeeds Susan Monarez, who was confirmed last year but removed from the position less than a month later following disagreements with Kennedy over vaccine policy. The agency has since been led by a series of acting directors.
Schwartz does not appear to have publicly outlined a detailed position on marijuana legalization, medical cannabis or federal cannabis policy. The CDC does not determine whether marijuana is federally legal, but the agency collects data and publishes health guidance concerning marijuana use, youth exposure, impaired driving and other cannabis-related issues.
Her confirmation makes Schwartz the 22nd director of the CDC and the first Black woman to permanently lead the agency.