A Senate committee advances Dr. Erica Schwartz’s nomination to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, moving the matter closer to a full Senate confirmation vote.Schwartz, who holds medical and law degrees and served as deputy surgeon general and in the US Coast Guard, pledges to uphold science but stops short of explicitly repudiating Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vaccine-related initiatives, prompting concern from public health groups.The committee also approves
Sean Kaufman for assistant health secretary for preparedness and response, and critics including Senator
Bernie Sanders warn that confirming Schwartz without firmer safeguards would leave the agency vulnerable to political interference and prolong leadership instability.