Trump CDC nominee pulled last minute before hearing, other health officials confirmed

David Weldon’s nomination for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director was pulled on Thursday, less than an hour before his scheduled confirmation hearing in the Senate. The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee confirmed Weldon’s nomination withdrawal in a statement just before the hearing was scheduled to begin. The White House pulled Weldon’s nomination because it wasn’t clear he had the votes to be confirmed, the Associated Press reported, citing an unnamed source close to the matter.

Trump tapped the former Florida congressman for CDC director in November. Weldon will work to regain American trust in the CDC after past misinformation and censorship, Trump said in his announcement. Weldon will prioritize transparency and competence at the CDC and play a crucial role in ending the chronic disease epidemic, Trump added. Weldon drew some criticism for his scepticism about the effectiveness and safety of vaccines. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., claimed that Weldon’s beliefs on vaccines should have automatically disqualified him from the role. She called on Trump to nominate someone who, as she put it, believed in basic science. She went on to cite the recent measles outbreak as evidence for why she believed Weldon was unfit for the position.

What about Trump’s other health officials? The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee approved Dr. Jayanta Bhattacharya to serve as director of the National Institutes of Health on Thursday with a 12-11 vote. The committee also approved Dr. Martin Makary for commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in a 14-9 vote the same morning. Both nominees must face a final vote on the Senate floor before they are officially approved.

Dig deeper: Read my previous reporting on the confirmation hearings for Bhattacharya and Makary for more background.