The Brief

Dr. Susan Monarez was confirmed to be President Donald Trump’s director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Senate confirmed Monarez on Tuesday in a 51-47 vote. The 50-year-old was named acting director in January and then tapped as the nominee in March after Trump withdrew his first choice, David Weldon.

During her Tuesday confirmation hearing, Monarez said she values vaccines and precise scientific evidence, but the Associated Press reported that she avoided questions about her dealings with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The AP reported that Monarez became the first CDC director to pass through Senate confirmation under a 2023 law. The CDC has been impacted by staff cuts, resignations of key officials and is mired in controversy over longstanding

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