Erica Schwartz, who was the deputy U.S. surgeon general during the first Trump administration, will serve as the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The last permanent director, Susan Monarez, was ousted from the role last August after disagreeing with Kennedy on vaccine policies. National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya has led the CDC in an acting capacity since Monarez’s departure. Cassidy ultimately said he would support Schwartz after the CDC updated a website about vaccines and autism to remove a reference to him. Schwartz, the former chief medical officer of the Coast Guard, told Cassidy during her confirmation hearing that she would “never betray the science.”