Senate Grills CDC Nominee Susan Monarez on Agency Cuts

Jun 27, 2025

THURSDAY, June 26, 2025 (HealthDay News) — The woman tapped to lead the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says she supports science, vaccines and public health programs — but she dodged key questions about recent cuts to the agency during a Senate hearing on Wednesday.

Susan Monarez, 50, told senators she values “evidence-based decision-making” and believes “vaccines save lives.”

But she declined to say whether she disagrees with recent decisions by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., including large staffing cuts and changes to a key vaccine committee, the Associated Press reported.

Monarez said Kennedy has “laid out a very clear vision,” adding, “I think he has prioritized key public health activities for preventing chronic diseases.”

Monarez is the first CDC director nominee to require Senate confirmation. She became acting director in January after President Donald Trump pulled his first pick, David Weldon.

She has a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology and is known as a respected scientist, though she would be the first CDC leader in decades who is not a physician.

Several senators pushed for answers from Monarez, the AP added in its report.

Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia, said he didn’t doubt her experience, but said “I’ve got questions about your willingness to follow through on your values.”

Monarez said she had not been part of decisions to cut staff or close programs earlier this year, but she promised to protect the CDC’s most important work and move some programs to other parts of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

During the two-hour hearing, she was asked about:

Secretary Kennedy’s move to fire all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the group that reviews and recommends vaccines.
Kennedy’s public comments that downplayed the risk of measles during a national outbreak.
Cuts to a CDC program that investigates childhood lead poisoning.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana, wanted to know how Monarez would protect the scientific work of the ACIP, which now includes people who are skeptical of vaccines, the AP reported.

“Someone can speak as a critic,” Cassidy said, “But there should be someone who’s reviewing the overwhelming evidence of the safety of vaccines.”

Monarez responded that the ACIP plays a “very vital role” and that its decisions must be based on science.

She said she plans to bring innovation and clear communication to the CDC, which has a $9.2 billion budget and is responsible for tracking diseases, evaluating vaccines and protecting public health.

Still, she would not say whether she disagrees with any of Secretary Kennedy’s past actions.

If confirmed, Monarez would bring some stability to the agency. For months, it wasn’t clear who was in charge. At one point, the acting director was the CDC’s chief of staff — Matthew Buzzelli, a lawyer with no medical training.

Monarez earned her doctorate from the University of Wisconsin and did further training at Stanford University. She previously led a federal biomedical research agency.

Some CDC employees said they had barely heard from her between January and March, before Trump officially nominated her.

More information

Learn more about the role of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

SOURCE: Associated Press, June 25, 2025