In a stunning turn of events, the White House withdrew Dr. David Weldon’s nomination to lead the CDC after mounting controversy over past vaccine comments. The withdrawal came as Senate support for the former Florida Congressman crumbled ahead of his scheduled confirmation hearing.
At a glance:
• The White House pulled Dr. David Weldon’s CDC nomination due to insufficient Senate support
• Weldon, a former Florida Congressman and doctor, has previously questioned vaccine safety
• His confirmation hearing scheduled for Thursday was abruptly canceled
• Weldon introduced legislation to ban mercury from vaccines during his time in Congress
• This was the first time a CDC Director nominee required Senate confirmation
Nomination Collapses Amid Vaccine Controversy
The White House has withdrawn Dr. David Weldon’s nomination to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after it became clear he lacked sufficient Senate support. The decision came just hours before his scheduled confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
Weldon, a former Florida Congressman and medical doctor, faced scrutiny over his past statements questioning vaccine safety, including promoting theories linking vaccines to autism. His nomination was championed by allies of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent critic of vaccine policies. Kennedy is also under fire, with Democrats effectively holding him responsible for a measles outbreak in Texas.
Weldon’s Controversial Vaccine History
During his time in Congress, Weldon introduced legislation aimed at banning mercury from vaccines, raising legitimate questions about potential links to childhood neuro-developmental disorders. In 2007, he Co-Authored a “vaccine safety bill” with Rep. Carolyn Maloney that sought to create an independent agency for vaccine safety research.
Weldon claimed his legislation would “provide the independence necessary to ensure that vaccine safety research is robust, unbiased, free from conflict of interest criticism, and broadly accepted by the public at large.” The mainstream scientific consensus, however, has consistently insisted there is no link between vaccines and autism.
Democratic Sen. Patty Murray was strongly opposed to Weldon’s nomination, citing their meeting last month. “I was deeply disturbed to hear Dr. Weldon repeat debunked claims about vaccines — it’s dangerous to put someone in charge at CDC who believes the lie that our rigorously tested childhood vaccine schedule is somehow exposing kids to toxic levels of mercury or causing autism,” Murray declared.
Other Trump Health Nominees Advance
While Weldon’s nomination collapsed, other Trump administration health nominees continue moving forward. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, nominated to lead the National Institutes of Health, has received committee approval and awaits a full Senate vote.
Similarly, Dr. Marty Makary is advancing toward becoming the Food and Drug Administration Commissioner following a Senate panel vote. The nominations were part of President Trump’s popular effort to reshape federal health agencies in his second term.
The CDC director position requires Senate confirmation for the first time, following legislative changes made during the Biden administration.
