The committee voted 12-11 along party lines to advance Sean Kaufman to serve as assistant secretary for preparedness and response, which is responsible for handling the U.S. response to public health threats. During Kaufman’s confirmation hearing, Cassidy voiced concerns about his past statements casting doubt on vaccines and suggesting a link between vaccines and autism. The committee also voted 13-10 to advance Erica Schwartz’s nomination for CDC director. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., supported her nomination while all other Democrats on the committee voted “no.” At the same markup, the committee also approved legislation that would create protections for certain health data collected by wearable health technology.