Susan Monarez, a longtime federal health official nominated by President Trump to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), faced senators in a confirmation hearing Wednesday, providing a first glimpse of her personal views and any signs of daylight between herself and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
While Monarez said “vaccines save lives” and said there was no evidence of links between vaccines and autism, a debunked theory espoused by Kennedy, she was careful not to directly contradict her would-be boss despite prodding by Democratic senators.
Trump chose Monarez after his first choice for CDC Director, former Florida Rep. Dave Weldon (R), failed to gain enough support among Senate Republicans. Monarez has worked in federal health policy for nearly two decades and was acting CDC director before her nomination, giving her a few months of experience in the role.
Though she has held high-ranking positions in numerous offices in the federal government, CDC director would be her most public-facing role to date. She is also the first CDC nominee to require Senate confirmation, a change made after the COVID-19 pandemic thrust the role into the national spotlight.
Views on hot-button issues
Among those who’ve worked with her, Monarez is known as a strong believer in science and data, but her personal views on many hot-button issues were not publicly known before her appearance before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP).
Members of the committee were keen to learn her opinions on issues like infectious diseases, vaccines, food additives, water fluoridation and immunization guidance — all of which touch on policies that have been changed or contested under Kennedy.
HELP Committee ranking member Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) asked Monarez for her thoughts on Kennedy’s announcement on Wednesday that the U.S. would no longer be funding the global vaccine alliance Gavi.
“I think vaccines save lives. I think that we need to continue to support the promotion of utilization of vaccines,” Monarez told Sanders. “I wasn’t involved in that decisionmaking. If I’m confirmed as a CDC director, I will certainly look into it, and I’m happy to follow up.”
She also told Sanders that she did not see any causal link between vaccinations and autism, a possibility that Kennedy has repeatedly refused to discount despite mountains of evidence finding no connection.
At the same time the hearing was taking place, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) was holding its first meeting after being completely remade by Kennedy. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), chair of the HELP committee, has expressed his reservations about the new makeup of the committee, noting the members’ lack of experience multiple times throughout the hearing Wednesday.
The night before the ACIP meeting, Virginia physician Michael Ross withdrew from the committee rather than submitting to the required financial conflict-of-interest review for its members.
Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) asked Monarez whether the committee and its recommendations should be permitted and trusted when ethics reviews of its members have not been completed. While Monarez waffled on the question at first, she ultimately agreed that the members should not be participating in meetings if they have not gone through the ethics approval process.
Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) asked Monarez for her views on community water fluoridation. Kennedy has said he plans to tell the CDC to stop recommending water fluoridation, which is ultimately a state and local decision. Alsobrooks noted that Monarez is one of her constituents and asked if she believed the water in Potomac, Md., which is fluoridated, is safe to drink.
“I believe the water in Potomac, Maryland is safe,” Monarez said.
Not breaking from RFK Jr.
Despite expressing views that did not align with Kennedy’s, Monarez avoided directly saying she disagreed with any of his views, even under intense questioning.
Discussing Kennedy, Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) asked Monarez, “Is there anything you disagree with him about?”
“So look, if I’m confirmed as CDC director, I look forward to supporting the secretary with science and evidence and making sure that I am giving him the best information possible to help support some of these critical decisions,” Monarez responded.
Hassan pressed the issue, pointing to the recent measles outbreaks in Texas. The senator noted how Kennedy had previously minimized the potential harms of measles. Monarez started to discuss measles as a “critical issue” before Hassan interrupted her.
“Right, which is why your being able to independently state in public that you differ with the secretary is a really, really important thing right now. You’re showing a real reluctance to do this,” Hassan said.
The senator from New Hampshire also asked Monarez what she would do if Trump asked her to do something that went against the law.
“We’ll always follow the law and the president would never ask me to break the law,” said Monarez.
“Well I’d ask you to review recent facts and perhaps reflect on that answer,” Hassan responded.
