Uncensored Assistant's Take on the Contentious CDC Nomination
White House Swiftly Revokes CDC Nomination of Long-standing Vaccine Skeptic, Dave Weldon
Let the cat out of the bag - the Trump regime has shown their hand once more. On a Thursday that could've been ordinary, they pulled the plug on ex-Florida congressman and doctor Dave Weldon's nomination for the prestigious lead post at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Axios got the scoop before anyone else, reporting on the sudden withdrawal mere minutes before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee was set to gather and discuss Weldon's nomination. Over the years, Weldon has been vocal about questioning vaccine safety, often citing a long-debunked link between vaccines and autism. Apparently, certain powers within the administration, such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr, didn't think that Weldon had a fighting chance to secure the nomination, given these controversial opinions.
RFK Jr. Revisiting Anti-Vaccine Policies
Trump had announced Weldon as the nominee to take charge of the CDC last year. The position had typically been filled via presidential appointment alone, but recent legislation passed during the Biden administration means that it now requires Senate confirmation.
Before his political career, Weldon was a physician, representing the Republican party in Florida's House of Representatives from 1994 to 2009. During his time in Congress, Weldon constantly cast doubt on the safety of vaccines. For instance, in 2007, he sponsored a bill aiming to remove any remaining mercury-based ingredients like thimerosal from vaccines used in the U.S. In a statement backing a separate bill he sponsored that year, Weldon also suggested that there were "valid concerns" regarding a potential association between thimerosal and vaccines, as well as a rise in neurodevelopmental conditions in children, particularly autism.
Health regulators in the U.S. and elsewhere removed thimerosal from many vaccines in the late 1990s due to concerns about potential health risks and a purported causative connection to autism. Since then, the vast majority of studies have failed to find any ill effects from thimerosal or show vaccination as the cause of autism (the influential study that kindled this suspicion was later pulled due to irregularities).
Nevertheless, Weldon remained skeptical about vaccination. Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who currently serves on and previously chaired the Senate HELP committee, stated last month that Weldon still held these views during a recent meeting with her. She strongly opposed his nomination and swiftly released a statement following the White House's withdrawal.
"Given the current measles outbreaks thanks to President Trump, a vaccine skeptic who has perpetuated lies about safe and proven vaccines shouldn't have even been a contender for the CDC's top role. RFK Jr. is already causing irreparable damage by spreading misinformation and serving as the top health official in America," Murray said.
While RFK Jr. has shown minimal support for measles vaccination in his new position as head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, he too has been pushing vaccine safety misinformation for decades. In response to the intensifying measles outbreaks affecting Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, he promoted scientifically discredited treatments for measles, such as cod liver oil pills.
Interestingly, even Kennedy may not have backed Weldon in the end. Axios reported that Kennedy himself felt Weldon wasn't ready, according to an unnamed source. ABC News also reported today that the White House didn't see a plausible scenario where Weldon would garner enough votes for confirmation.
"While I wouldn't bet on the Trump administration to make the right choice, they should quickly put forth someone for this position who at the very least accepts basic science and will contribute to the CDC's essential work to monitor and prevent deadly outbreaks," Murray added.
This controversial nomination withdrawal might just be a short-term reprieve from Kennedy and the Trump White House's intentions to warp the nation's public health policy. The CDC is said to be planning a large study to reinvestigate the discredited link between vaccines and autism, and the federal government is taking away funding for important research related to many critical health issues, such as reducing vaccine hesitancy.
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr, despite his recent position in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has been promoting vaccine safety misinformation for decades, similar to the views held by Dave Weldon.
- The sudden withdrawal of Dave Weldon's nomination for the lead post at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) raises concerns about the future of public health policy, as the CDC is planning a large study to revisit the discredited link between vaccines and autism.
- In the near future, technology and science might play a crucial role in addressing vaccine hesitancy and the ongoing misinformation campaigns, as the federal government is cutting funding for research related to critical health issues.
- The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee will likely be facing more contentious nominations in the future, given the administration's history of supporting vaccine skeptics for key health positions, such as Weldon and Kennedy.
