WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) pressed two of President Donald Trump’s top health nominees on vaccine skepticism and promotion of conspiracy theories and the ongoing politicization of public health and research threatening the health of Americans. During the confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Senator Baldwin pressed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) nominee, Dr. Erica Schwartz, on whether she thinks vaccines are safe and effective and whether political influence and pressure from President Trump would come before the health and safety of Americans. Senator Baldwin also questioned Trump’s nominee to lead the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Sean Kaufman, on his view of vaccines given his track record promoting the disproven link between safe vaccines and autism and previous statements that he would “rather perish” than allow his child to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Senator Baldwin questions Trump nominees at HHS in front of Senate HELP Committee
The hearing comes as President Trump and HHS Secretary RFK, Jr.’s agenda continues to threaten Americans’ health and safety, routinely putting politics before science. Under President Trump, the CDC has forced out thousands of career scientists and employees tasked with tracking infectious disease outbreaks and safety hazards, issued vaccine recommendations that undercut decades of settled science, and cut grants to states. Additionally, a recent rule pushed by the Trump Administration would create a government-wide mechanism requiring political review of every grant, add restrictions on what funded researchers can publish, and expand the President’s handpicked staff authority to terminate grants on a whim.
The Trump administration and HHS Secretary RFK, Jr.’s vaccine policy also continues to hurt Americans, including attempting to change the number of shots routinely recommended to children, including for flu, hepatitis A, rotavirus and meningococcal disease. President Trump’s first CDC Director, Susan Monarez, was fired last year after refusing to acquiesce to a demand from RFK, Jr. that she pre-approve a childhood vaccine schedule without scientific evidence. This spring, a study showing the effectiveness of COVID vaccines was blocked from publication by Trump officials. This administration’s work to undercut faith in vaccines comes as the United States is seeing record numbers of vaccine-preventable diseases. As of early July, 2,231 measles cases were confirmed, according to CDC data, already nearing 2025 totals. 93% of these cases have been linked to people who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown.
A full video of Senator Baldwin’s questioning is available here.
An online version of this release is available here.
