The U.S. Senate has confirmed Dr. Erica Schwartz as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), making the physician, attorney and retired military health leader the first Black woman to head the nation’s premier public health agency.
The Senate voted 51-44 on Wednesday to confirm Schwartz, ending nearly a year without a Senate-confirmed CDC director. She assumes leadership as the agency confronts disease outbreaks, declining public confidence in public health institutions and significant workforce reductions.
“Dr. Schwartz’s experience and dedication to public health make her uniquely qualified to lead CDC during this critical time,” Georges C. Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, said after the vote. “We congratulate her on her confirmation and stand ready to work with her to strengthen the nation’s public health infrastructure and improve the health of all people.”
The barrier breaking physician served as deputy surgeon general of the United States and chief medical officer for the U.S. Coast Guard. A retired rear admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, she also directed health, safety and work-life programs for the Coast Guard, overseeing medical readiness, health care delivery and emergency preparedness for service members and their families.
She takes charge of the Atlanta-based agency as federal health officials continue responding to measles outbreaks, foodborne illness investigations and other emerging public health threats while the CDC adjusts to staffing losses and organizational changes over the past year.
During her confirmation hearing, senators from both parties questioned Schwartz about how she would preserve the CDC’s scientific independence while serving under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose views on vaccines and public health have drawn criticism from many medical and scientific organizations. Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana ultimately backed her nomination after seeking assurances about her commitment to evidence-based science, while Democrats, including Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, said they remained concerned about the agency’s independence.
Schwartz becomes the CDC’s 22nd director. Her career has included leadership roles in military medicine, public health policy and federal health administration, experience supporters say prepared her to guide one of the nation’s most visible health agencies during a period of heightened scrutiny.
Benjamin said the CDC’s mission remains essential to protecting communities across the country.
“We look forward to partnering with Dr. Schwartz to ensure CDC remains a trusted source of science-based guidance that protects the health of every community in America,” he said.
