Monarez, the agency’s acting director, would be the first non-physician to become the permanent head of the CDC since the early 1950s.
After rescinding the nomination of Dr. David Weldon to lead the Centers for Disease Control this month, President Donald Trump named CDC Acting Director Susan Monarez as his nominee to fill the post.
Monarez has served as the CDC interim chief since late January and was previously deputy director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) during the Biden administration.
Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on March 24 that Monarez “brings decades of experience championing Innovation, Transparency, and strong Public Health Systems.”
“As an incredible mother and dedicated public servant, Dr. Monarez understands the importance of protecting our children, our communities, and our future,” Trump said.
The CDC is one of 13 agencies managed by HHS.
Earlier this month, Trump withdrew the nomination of Weldon to lead the CDC just before his confirmation hearing was scheduled before the Senate Health, Labor, Education, and Pensions Committee (HELP).
Weldon has frequently questioned the safety of vaccines.
A U.S. Army veteran who represented a Florida district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2009, Weldon told reporters his nomination was rescinded because there were not enough votes to get him confirmed.
Monarez will need to get approval from the HELP committee for advancement to a full Senate floor vote, where she will need simple majority support to get confirmed.
Here are five things to know about Monarez:
- She Would Be A Trendsetter
- She Has White House Experience
- She Has the Support of RFK Jr.
- She Has Carried Out Trump Directives
- She’ll Address Measles, Bird Flu, and Vaccines
1. She Would Be A Trendsetter
Monarez is not a physician, but she has a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology.
If confirmed, she would be the first non-physician to become the permanent head of the CDC since the early 1950s.
“She has a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin, and postdoctoral training in microbiology and immunology at Stanford University School of Medicine,” Trump noted in his March 24 Truth Social post. “Dr. Monarez understands the importance of protecting our children, our communities, and our future.”
If Monarez gains approval, it would mark the first time that the CDC director’s role has received Senate confirmation.
The CDC director’s position didn’t require the confirmation process until the passage of a 2023 omnibus bill that featured a GOP-backed provision mandating that the CDC director “shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.”
