On July 30, 2026, the Senate health committee voted to approve two presidential nominees for senior public health roles: Erica Schwartz for director of the CDC and Sean Kaufman for assistant secretary for preparedness and response (ASPR). Committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-La.) endorsed both nominees, setting aside earlier reservations. The committee approvals move the nominations to the full Senate floor, where the article reports they are likely to be confirmed.
The committee vote on Erica Schwartz was supported by all Republican members and by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.); the remaining Democrats on the panel opposed her confirmation. Sean Kaufman received unanimous Republican support on the committee and unanimous Democratic opposition. The article notes that Cassidy’s backing was decisive in advancing both nominations out of committee.
Chair Bill Cassidy said he would approve Kaufman because of the need to strengthen the nation’s pandemic preparedness amid ongoing public health challenges, citing vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks and an Ebola outbreak in parts of Africa. Cassidy said he agreed to back Kaufman after HHS officials promised unspecified personnel changes and that the ASPR leader would be restricted from involvement in vaccine policy decisions. Cassidy did not identify which HHS officials made those assurances.
Cassidy has previously set aside reservations in high-profile confirmation decisions, and the article connects his current vote to earlier instances in which he relied on promises from HHS leadership. He also said he could hold up future health nominees, though his ability to do so is constrained by his limited remaining time on the Hill after losing his reelection bid.
The article outlines concerns raised during Kaufman’s confirmation process stemming from a series of public posts over several years in which he questioned vaccine safety, opposed giving infants the hepatitis B shot, and suggested a possible link between the hepatitis B vaccine and autism. STAT first reported on those posts. Decades of research has not found a connection between vaccines and autism, a point noted in the article.
During his confirmation hearing, Cassidy heavily criticized Kaufman for those past remarks. Kaufman later endorsed vaccines during his opening statement to the committee and, according to Cassidy’s comments reported in the article, acknowledged having said some “stupid and irresponsible things” about vaccines. Cassidy said Kaufman has “owned up” to those statements in private conversations with him. The committee also appears to have secured a commitment—reported by Cassidy—from HHS that Kaufman would be limited from participating in vaccine policy discussions if confirmed.
Erica Schwartz served as deputy surgeon general during the first Trump administration. In her confirmation hearing she emphasized operational pandemic experience, including scaling up drive-through Covid-19 testing, and described prior health roles in the U.S. military. Cassidy said he reviewed her hearing transcript, spoke with people who have served with her, and came away confident in her capabilities, which informed his decision to support her nomination.
The article frames the approvals as a political win for President Trump and HHS Secretary Kennedy at a time when the department has faced criticism and experienced leadership vacancies in key public health roles. STAT links the confirmations to broader public health pressures, including measles outbreaks, a foodborne parasite outbreak, and the Ebola outbreak referenced by Cassidy.
The piece highlights ongoing concerns about HHS actions under Secretary Kennedy, including reported changes to a CDC webpage that raised questions about a vaccine-autism link and recent moves to reduce recommended pediatric vaccines, such as delaying the hepatitis B birth dose—steps Cassidy has publicly opposed. Cassidy told reporters that HHS had agreed to revise the CDC website and that further adjustments were expected; however, the article notes that, as of the committee vote, the website still raised unsupported questions about vaccines and autism.
Pending confirmations remain for other HHS nominees mentioned in the article, including Nicole Saphier for surgeon general and Chris Klomp for a senior HHS role. Cassidy described the pick of Chris Klomp as “encouraging.” The article also notes Cassidy’s warning that he may withhold support for future nominees, though his remaining tenure in the Senate is limited after his reelection loss.
The story includes an update that additional comments from Cassidy were added.