Dr. Erica Schwartz faced questions from Democratic senators on vaccines and running agencies independently during her confirmation hearing to be the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday.

Ranking Member Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., asked Schwartz if she would remove a webpage updated last November on the CDC’s website on autism and vaccines. The webpage states that a link between the two has been ignored despite many studies finding no such link.

Schwartz said she accepted there is “overwhelming evidence” vaccines don’t cause autism, but did not commit to removing the webpage.

“Senator, I have been in situations where I have had to go to my superiors in the military to have conversations, very difficult conversations about things that may have been concerning to the troops or to the military personnel, and I will do the same with [Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.],” she replied.

Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., asked Schwartz if she would stop the CDC from promoting the flu vaccine during a bad flu season if asked to do so by Kennedy.  Schwartz dodged the question, saying she didn’t speak in hypotheticals.

“Are you going to protect our kids, or are you going to follow an uninformed order from the secretary?” Hassan asked

“Senator, I will always, always protect our children,” Schwartz replied.

Schwartz, a former deputy surgeon general, was nominated by President Donald Trump in April. Trump made the announcement in a post on Truth Social, describing Schwartz as “incredibly talented.”

She is the fourth person named or nominated as head of the CDC since last summer. If confirmed by the Senate, Schwartz will replace Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health, who took over as acting CDC director in February.

Schwartz earned a medical degree from Brown University and served in the U.S. Navy until 2005.

She served in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, as the Coast Guard Chief Medical Officer and as Deputy Surgeon General from 2019 to early 2021, during the first Trump administration.

“I was very pleased to see Dr. Schwartz nominated to be the next director of the CDC,” Dr. Richard Besser, former acting director of the CDC during the Obama administration, told ABC News. “What struck me is how refreshing it felt to see someone nominated for this job who actually has deep experience in public health and has the credentials necessary to lead a complex public health organization.”

Besser expressed concern about whether Schwartz, if confirmed, will have the independence from Kennedy to make public health recommendations, referencing a previous CDC director: Susan Monarez.

Monarez was confirmed as CDC director in July 2025, but she held the post for less than a month. Monarez was fired by Kennedy for reportedly not rubber-stamping the health secretary’s vaccine agenda or firing high-ranking CDC leaders whom he opposed.

The turmoil led to both Kennedy and Monarez appearing in front of Senate committees to address the ousting. 

At a Senate hearing, Kennedy denied telling Monarez to accept vaccine recommendations without scientific evidence and claimed she was fired in part because she told him she was untrustworthy.

Chairman Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., pressed Schwartz on her willingness to stand up to potential political interference by Kennedy. Schwartz said if she were to be confirmed, she would serve.

“I will continue to live and lead by my integrity,” Schwartz said. “If I’m confirmed as a CDC director, the nation’s health and well-being will take primacy and I will never compromise on that.

Cassidy grew frustrated with Schwartz and repeatedly questioned whether she would have independence in her role and if she would speak the truth even in difficult moments. 

“Will you have the ability to do that with free of political interference?” Cassidy said.

“Chairman, the secretary absolutely will allow me to be the director for you,” Schwartz replied.

Cassidy then followed up with Schwartz another time. “Will you have the ability to say no to junk science, and to say yes to that which has been firmly established, and to stick up for what is actually right and true, as opposed to that which is superstition and prejudice?” he asked.

“Chairman, I have always stood up for what is right and what is true, and I believe that I will continue to do that,” Schwartz answered.

“You have my assurances that I will do that,” she said.

Sean Kaufman also appeared before the Senate HELP Committee for his confirmation hearing on Wednesday. Kaufman was nominated to lead the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, which was recently absorbed under CDC as part of an HHS reorganization in 2025.

Kaufman has claimed without evidence that the COVID-19 vaccine caused “excessive death and injury … in the United States and globally.” Health officials have said COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective following clinical trials that involved tens of thousands of people and have since helped save millions of lives.

“What concerns me about Mr. Kaufman is that he has expressed very strong anti-vaccine views, and the ASPR is responsible for the strategic national stockpile,” Besser said. “So, I hope that the committee asks him questions to fully understand the approach that he would take in that role.”