The White House is withdrawing former Florida Rep. Dave Weldon’s nomination to be the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a White House official confirmed Thursday.
The reason is not yet clear. Weldon, a vaccine critic, was set to appear before the Senate’s health committee on Thursday for his confirmation hearing. He is a physician and a former Republican member of Congress.
Axios first reported the White House is pulling his nomination.
News of Weldon’s nomination being pulled came less than an hour before the Senate’s health committee was expected to question him over his nomination, including a long record criticizing vaccines and the agency he was asked to lead.
Weldon would have been the first CDC director nominee to face Senate confirmation, after a change passed by Congress. Previous picks to head the Atlanta-based public health agency were able to assume their posts immediately.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
, whose department oversees the CDC, also has a history of criticizing vaccines
.
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