Senate health panel delays vote on CDC nominee

Breaking News Senate health panel delays vote on CDC nominee Sen. Bill Cassidy’s health committee plans to hold a vote on Erica Schwartz next week Manage alerts for this article Email this article Share this article By Chelsea CirruzzoJuly 23, 2026 Washington Correspondent Chelsea Cirruzzo[email protected]Chelsea covers the Department of Health and Human Services with a particular focus on power and influence at the top. Confidential tips can be sent via Signal at chelseacirruzzo.42. WASHINGTON — The Senate’s health panel delayed until next week a vote on Erica Schwartz to run the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, after postponing a separate vote on Sean Kaufman for a key public health preparedness role. The committee vote on Schwartz was pushed back because too few senators showed up. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) is dealing with a family emergency, and at least one other lawmaker was also absent.Advertisement Earlier on Thursday, health committee chair Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said he had enough votes to advance Schwartz out of the committee, where the GOP holds a one-vote advantage. Cassidy told reporters he delayed the vote on Kaufman to be assistant secretary for preparedness and response because he hadn’t done a count of how much support Kaufman had. A Senate health committee spokesperson said that the committee and the administration were looking into a “path forward” for Kaufman. When asked what that might look like, Cassidy responded: “TBD.” Schwartz was deputy surgeon general during the first Trump administration. During her confirmation hearing, she spoke about scaling up drive-thru Covid-19 testing during the pandemic as well as her experience in health roles in the U.S. military.Advertisement CDC, Congress, HHS, Policy Submit a correction requestReprints Chelsea Cirruzzo Washington Correspondent Chelsea covers the Department of Health and Human Services with a particular focus on power and influence at the top. Confidential tips can be sent via Signal at chelseacirruzzo.42. Newsletter The latest updates in federal health agencies, research institutes, and U.S. policy Recommended Health July 23, 2026 STAT Plus: Vote on key federal health nominee delayed amid questions over vaccine views Health July 21, 2026 STAT Plus: Advocates say federal funding is being cut from groups fighting HIV Advertisement Business July 16, 2026 STAT Plus: GOP blocks effort to end Medicare test of AI prior authorization Health July 15, 2026 Cassidy grills Trump nominee on past vaccine comments in heated exchange Exclusive July 14, 2026 STAT Plus: Top Democrats question RFK Jr.’s health care advisory panel Subscriber Picks