Nomination for CDC Director Withdrawn After Vote Shortfall

The White House has decided to pull their nomination for Dr. Dave Weldon, a Republican ex-congressman, who was set to be the leading candidate for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Weldon, informed of this decision via phone the previous night, noted that the administration indicated it lacked sufficient votes for his confirmation.

Dr. Weldon, aged 71, had been preparing for his Senate health committee confirmation hearing on Thursday at 10 a.m. This occurrence was significant as it was the first time a nominee for agency director faced a confirmation. The decision to retract the nomination was first reported by Axios.

Despite the turn of events, Dr. Weldon shared his enthusiasm toward the opportunity of serving the nation and revitalizing public faith in the CDC. He has often criticized the agency for inadequate investigation into the safety of childhood vaccines. He was also eager to collaborate with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the new health secretary, on the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) initiative, focusing on reducing chronic diseases across the U.S.

“It’s a shock but honestly, somewhat relieving,” Dr. Weldon remarked. “Government roles are demanding, and if it’s not meant to be, I’m okay with that.”

In response to the withdrawal, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee canceled Dr. Weldon’s scheduled hearing. However, the committee advanced the nominations of Dr. Jayanta Bhattacharya for the National Institutes of Health and Dr. Martin Makary for the Food and Drug Administration to the full Senate.

(Dr. Mehmet Oz’s hearing to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services remains on schedule for Friday.)

Of the major agency nominees within the Department of Health and Human Services, Dr. Weldon was likely the least recognized, yet he was most aligned with Mr. Kennedy. Their friendship spans 25 years, and Mr. Kennedy has often echoed Dr. Weldon’s critiques of the CDC. Mr. Kennedy is reportedly “very upset” over the nomination withdrawal, according to Dr. Weldon.

“I’m scheduled to fly out at 11 o’clock, heading home to resume seeing patients on Monday,” he said. “Financially, I’ll fare better sticking with my medical practice.”

Dr. Weldon’s hearing was due to coincide with several public health challenges, including severe measles outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico, affecting over 250 individuals and resulting in two fatalities; a particularly trying flu season with extreme hospitalization rates; and rising concerns over avian flu.

He had consistently scrutinized the safety of the measles vaccine and accused the CDC of failing to adequately demonstrate vaccine safety. “They never got it right,” he stated, while also commending the work of the discredited British doctor Andrew Wakefield, who initially suggested vaccines could cause autism.

“It’s possible to research and identify reasons why some children react poorly to the MMR vaccine,” Dr. Weldon insisted, though numerous studies have discounted any connection. “It seems Big Pharma was not keen on me looking into these issues at the CDC.”

Following the withdrawal, Dr. Weldon issued a statement reiterating his previous efforts during his Congressional tenure to relocate the vaccine safety office outside CDC’s influence, highlighting a conflict of interest with the CDC’s role in both purchasing and promoting vaccines. He is also a fervent abortion opponent.

Dr. Weldon served in Congress from 1995 to 2009, notably authoring the Weldon Amendment, which prevents health agencies from discriminating against institutions opting out of providing or funding abortions.

Much like Mr. Kennedy, he raised concerns over the necessity of hepatitis B vaccination for children, characterizing it primarily as a sexually transmitted disease affecting adults. He also argued for abstinence as a superior strategy for controlling sexually transmitted infections, which have climbed sharply in recent years and began to decline only in 2023.

In a late November interview with The New York Times, Dr. Weldon expressed efforts “to remove mercury from vaccines.” The CDC had published a study asserting no harm from mercury, although he claimed there were credible accusations of data manipulation by the CDC.

“Had I been confirmed, I intended to quietly revisit the CDC database and examine this allegation,” he mentioned.

Despite his controversial views, Dr. Weldon sees himself as pro-vaccine, stating in November that his adult children are fully vaccinated, and he regularly administers vaccines in his Florida medical practice.

“I’ve been labeled anti-vaccine,” he said, “Yet, I administer vaccinations and endorse them.”

Save for some challenging questions by the committee chairman, Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana, reactions from committee members mostly echoed partisan divides. Dr. Weldon’s hearing was anticipated to reflect this trend.