The United States Senate has confirmed Susan Monarez as the permanent head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, after she had already been serving in an acting capacity. Her confirmation follows the withdrawal of President Trump’s original nominee just a few hours before that person’s scheduled hearing.
Monarez, who has a background in infectious disease research, has now become the first person without a medical degree to lead the CDC in more than fifty years. She received approval through a 51 to 47 vote, divided strictly along party lines.
Her appointment comes at a time when Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had already made heavy cuts to the agency’s operations, though many of those were later rolled back. He also disbanded a powerful advisory group responsible for making national vaccine recommendations.
Soon after President Trump took office in January, Monarez left her previous position as deputy director of a federal biomedical research organization that was started during Biden’s presidency. She stepped into the role of acting CDC director shortly after.
Change of Plans After Initial Nominee Withdraws
It had been expected that Monarez would lead the agency temporarily, until Dr. Dave Weldon, a former Republican congressman, could be approved for the post.
However, when President Trump later chose to cancel Weldon’s nomination, Republican Senate staff members said the candidate had not presented a solid vision for the agency’s direction.
Dr. Weldon, in response, placed blame on two Republican senators, Susan Collins from Maine and Bill Cassidy from Louisiana, accusing them of withdrawing their support.
Contrasting Leadership Styles
Medical experts pointed out the difference between Monarez and Weldon. While Weldon had taken a doubtful stance on childhood vaccines and shared views that were close to those of Kennedy, Monarez openly supported the COVID-19 vaccines and was viewed as someone more aligned with science.
Many believed her nomination reflected growing frustration within the government toward anti-vaccine movements.
CDC staff, speaking anonymously due to fear of losing their jobs, said that during her time as acting director, Monarez did not have much direct input on the interpretation of executive orders or legal rulings. Instead, her office mostly passed along instructions from the White House and the Health and Human Services Department.
Role in Government Policy Execution
Sources familiar with her work mentioned that she had been involved in discussions with the Department of Government Efficiency, the body responsible for planning spending cuts across federal agencies. She reportedly helped develop proposals to reduce the CDC’s budget.
When officials from the Trump administration demanded the removal of certain terms such as “LGBTQ” and “transgender” from the CDC’s website, Monarez did not try to push back or save the deleted content, according to three individuals with inside knowledge who also requested anonymity.
Expectations from the Public Health Community
Dr. Richard E. Besser, who leads the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and once served as acting CDC director himself, issued a statement addressing the current pressure on Monarez. He described her new role as coming at a very difficult time for the agency.
According to Besser, Monarez has more to do than just manage the CDC’s operations. He said she would need to actively defend the agency’s integrity.
He stressed that America’s public health system relies on a strong CDC that can respond to health emergencies, prevent long-term diseases, and tackle the deep-rooted inequalities that still exist across many communities.
He ended by saying that success would depend on Monarez being willing to speak, protect scientific truth, and advocate for the health of all Americans.
