Senate confirms Susan Monarez to lead the CDC

The Senate on Tuesday approved President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Susan Monarez, as the agency's new director in a party-line vote.

Monarez, who has led the CDC for the past few months, was Trump's second nominee for the post after he withdrew Dr. Dave Weldon's name over concerns he would not get the votes needed for confirmation.

Monarez could be seen as an unorthodox choice because of her background of having a PhD instead of being a medical doctor. But she has post-doctoral training in Microbiology and Immunology from the Stanford University School of Medicine.

The nominee was confirmed in a 51-47 split, and is the first CDC director to require Senate confirmation. 

Trump hailed Monarez as an "incredible mother and dedicated public servant," who "understands the importance of protecting our children, our communities, and our future." 

The new director will now work alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., despite comments in her confirmation hearing where she declared that "vaccines save lives," and expressed doubts that vaccines could cause autism. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.