Tim Kaine said Monday he will vote to advance Erica Schwartz in Thursday’s Senate HELP Committee vote, giving Trump’s CDC nominee a clear path toward confirmation.
Five disease threats — measles, screwworm, hantavirus, Ebola and cyclosporiasis — drove Kaine’s decision, with the Virginia Democrat saying the CDC “desperately” needs confirmed leadership.
Republicans are expected to support Schwartz after Chair Bill Cassidy backed her last week, and Kaine’s vote likely gives her strong odds on the Senate floor.
Schwartz had faced Democratic skepticism after struggling at her hearing to say she would defy HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. if asked to harm public health; Maggie Hassan and Bernie Sanders remain opposed.
Kaine said he regretted opposing former CDC director Susan Monarez, who was confirmed last year but later ousted by Trump after clashing with Kennedy over vaccine policy.