Susan Monarez Confirmed as Trump's CDC Director

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Susan Monarez to be director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Monarez, 50, was named acting director in January and then tapped as the nominee in March after President Donald Trump abruptly withdrew his first choice, David Weldon.

The Atlanta-based federal agency, tasked with tracking diseases and responding to health threats, has been hit by widespread staff cuts, key resignations, and controversy over long-standing CDC vaccination policies upended by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

At her confirmation hearing, Monarez said she values vaccines and rigorous scientific evidence, 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.

With the 51-47 vote in favor of Monarez, she becomes the first CDC director to pass through Senate confirmation under a 2023 law.

She holds a doctorate in microbiology and immunology from the University of Wisconsin, and she did postdoctoral research at Stanford University. Before joining the CDC, Monarez was largely known for her government roles in health technology and biosecurity.

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