White House withdraws David Weldon CDC nomination, leaving leadership uncertain
Activists rally to support Centers for Disease Control workers following massive government cuts (Photo: Getty Images)
The White House has withdrawn the nomination of David Weldon for director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), just hours before his scheduled confirmation hearing, reports Fox News.
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee confirmed Thursday morning that Weldon's hearing had been canceled. However, votes on other key nominations, including Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to be director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Dr. Marty Makary to be commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration, would proceed as scheduled.
A source familiar with the nomination process told Fox News that "it became clear that the votes weren’t there in the Senate for him to get confirmed. This would have been a futile effort."
While no official reason for the withdrawal was provided, reports suggest Weldon was informed of the decision the night before, although some sources claim he only learned about it upon arriving at the Capitol.
Vaccine skepticism controversy
Weldon, a former Florida congressman and medical doctor, has faced scrutiny over past statements questioning vaccine safety. In 2007, he stated that there were "legitimate questions" about a potential link between vaccines and childhood neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism.
During his time in Congress, he also introduced legislation alongside former Rep. Carolyn Maloney to ban mercury in vaccines. His stance on vaccines was expected to be a key issue during his confirmation hearing, similar to the scrutiny faced by now-HHS Secretary RFK Jr., whose past advocacy against vaccines was a major topic during his Senate hearing.
The White House has not yet announced a new nominee for the CDC leadership role.
