Susan Monarez, who has been the acting head under the Trump administration, must be confirmed by the Senate.
President Donald Trump on Monday announced he is naming acting U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez to be the agency’s permanent head.
In a statement on Truth Social, Trump said Monarez “brings decades of experience” to the role and “understands the importance of protecting our children, our communities, and our future.”
“Americans have lost confidence in the CDC due to political bias and disastrous mismanagement,” the president said. “Dr. Monarez will work closely with our GREAT Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert Kennedy Jr. Together, they will prioritize Accountability, High Standards, and Disease Prevention to finally address the Chronic Disease Epidemic.”
Monarez, who has been acting director of the agency since January, was previously deputy director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, a federal research funding agency within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Previously, the CDC director was appointed, but starting in 2025 the position requires Senate confirmation.
Monarez will likely face scrutiny from senators over decisions made by the agency since the Trump administration took over, including questions on delaying a meeting of vaccine advisers; CDC webpages that were taken down to comply with Trump’s executive orders to remove references to gender ideology and diversity, equity, and inclusion; and the agency’s response to a measles outbreak in Texas and New Mexico in recent weeks.
Some senators will also likely question her over Kennedy’s previous comments on vaccines and whether the agency plans to take any action on vaccines.
If confirmed, Monarez would continue to report to Kennedy as the agency’s permanent director.
The Atlanta-based CDC, with an annual budget of $17.3 billion, tracks and responds to domestic and foreign threats to public health. Roughly two-thirds of its budget funds the public health and prevention activities of state and local health agencies.
It is also responsible for making vaccine recommendations for Americans, including by setting the childhood vaccination schedule, and funding vaccines for children who otherwise would not have access to them.
