Business meeting to consider pending calendar business.

The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions will please come to order. Uh, we still uh need a few more people here, so I'll make my remarks, um punil- punishing the people who came early. Uh, and then we will vote on two nominees to be members of the National Labor Relations Board or the NLRB. If confirmed, Mister Jim Macy and Mister David Prouty will be charged with resolving lab- labor disputes and protecting workers' rights under federal law. This means clearing the backlog of cases caused by the Biden administration and restoring certainty for workers and the nation's economy. Mister Prouty has been confirmed once before as he served as a member of the NLRB for the past five years, and has now been re-nominated by President Trump. Mister Macy has decades of legal experience as an attorney negotiating collective bargaining agreements he'll bring a common sense and on the ground perspective to board decisions. We now have the opportunity to put workers first to maintain the board's quorum, so it works as intended. In addition to the NLRB nominees, we'll also vote on Mr. Brett, excuse me, Doctor Brett Matsumoto's nomination to be Commissioner of Labor Statistics. The current jobs report process is broken, with significant revisions undermining trust in critical BLS products that impact everyday Americans' finances. If confirmed, Mister Matsumoto will be tasked with bringing transparency, innovation and accuracy to our nation's economic data. We're also voting on Michael McDonald to be Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Mister McDonald's confirmation will allow for further preparations for the nation's quintessential implementation of policies to combat anti-semitism on college campuses and reorganization of grant funding to deserving scholars. With that, I recognize Senator Sanders.

Thank you. Um, Mister Chairman, I support David Prouty's renomination to serve on the NLRB board. And I am opposed to President Trump's three other nominees that we are considering today. We need members of the NLRB who will protect the constitutional rights of workers to form a union. The vast majority of workers in America want to form unions. They are stopped illegally time and time again. And that is the kind of, those are the kind of people we need on the NLRB who will protect workers. In my view, Mister Prouty will do just that. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that William Macy, the Republican nominee, who has spent most of his career representing the interests of management, will not. Uh, but that's not just my opinion. More importantly, it's what the AFL CIO, representing fifteen million American workers, believe. On June twenty fifth, the AFL sa- uh, CIO sent us a letter stating, quote, "We urge you to defend the NLRB's independence and workers' access to a fair day in court by maintaining its quorum with the advancement of member Prouty's nomination and declining to report Mister Macy's nomination to the senate floor i ask mr. chairman i ask unanimous consent to

ok

enter this letter this letter into the record mr. chairman i ask unanimous consent to enter this letter into the record from the afl-cio without objection mr. chairman i will also vote no on mister masamoto's nomination to serve as the commissioner uh a commissioner of the bureau of labor statistics in my view we need a bls commissioner who will give us accurate and unbiased statistics on the unemployment rate in the American workforce not someone who will tell the president what he wants to hear. Unfortunately, I do not believe Mister Matsumoto will exercise the independence necessary for this important job. Finally, I'm opposed to Mister McDonald's nomination to serve as chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Mister McDonald has repeatedly signed off on using NEH funds for projects that benefit President Trump and has repeatedly signed off on using NEH funds for projects that benefit President Trump including its attempt to build trump's absurd arch in a nation's capital without congressional authorization thank you mr. chairman

seeing that the quorum is present i will now move to favorably report mr. macy's nomination the clerk shall call the roll i shall be voting yes

senator paul

aye

senator collins

aye

senator mirkowski

aye

senator marshall

aye

senator scott

aye

senator holly

aye

senator tuberville

aye

senator banks

aye

sir he's

yes

center moody

aye

sir armstrong

aye i think that proxy votes interesting

senator sanders

no

senator murray

no by proxy

senator baldwin

no by proxy

senator murphy

no by proxy

senator kane

no

senator hassin senator hickenlooper senator markey

no

senator kim

no

senator blount rochester senator also brooks

no by proxy

Senator Husted.

Come here.

Getting him here. That's why the down is on the screen.

Unless the Democrat wishes to change their vote, we are going to wait for Senator Husted. But I will also inform that the passage of Mister Macy predicates what we do with Mister Prouty. mmm hmm oh hmm um hmm What? We told the Senator Husted is in the building, I will vote for Prouty if a Democrat will flip and vote for Macy, but we're not gonna bring up Prouty unless we get Macy on there. so i don't know about the future ideas ok when the building is coming up right now uh do you have to ask the other ones right now maybe no but what we're gonna do is we're gonna go to the other yeah we'll tickle them as well about the official meeting yeah exactly town house agency yeah yeah yeah do you hear me or not for a second oh john center houston he's

chairman cassidy

aye

have twelve eyes eleven a's

ok we decide that

oh oh senator baldwin

what is the question

um

no

no ok have twelve eyes eleven a's

ok the ayes have it the nomination is agreed to and will be favorably reported to the senate we now move to mr. matzema uh doctor matzema to his voting um the clerk should call the roll i shall be voting yes

senator paul

aye

senator collins

aye

senator borkowski senator marshall

aye

senator scott

aye

senator holly senator tuberville

aye

senator banks

aye

senator houston

aye

senator moody senator armstrong senator sanders

no

senator murray

no but how so

senator baldwin senator murphy

no but how so

senator kane

no but how so

senator hassan senator hickenlooper senator markey senator kim senator rochester senator alcer brooks

over at rochester

chairman cassidy

yes

aye

twelve eyes eleven nays

the ayes have it we should now move to um

ok that's a good one

mr. mcdonald um the clerk should call the roll i shall be voting yes

senator paul

aye

senator collins murkowski senator murkowski

aye

senator marchel

aye

senator scott

aye

senator holly

aye

senator tubberill

aye

senator banks

aye

senator houston

aye

senator moody

aye

senator armstrong

aye

senator sanders

more than six minutes

senator murray

don't by proxy

senator baldwin

no mmm

senator murphy

don't by proxy

senator kain

no

senator hassan

no

senator hickenlooper senator markey

oh

senator kim

no no

senator rochester

yes

senator alcer brooks

don't by proxy

chairman cassidy

aye

we have twelve eyes eleven ears

those eyes have it we should now move to mr.

proudy uh the culture call the roll senator paul

yeah

senator collins

aye

senator mckoski senator marshall

aye

senator scott

no

senator holly

aye

senator tuberville

no

senator banks

no

senator houston

aye

senator moody

no

senator armstrong

aye

holly was first senator sanders

aye

so they there we go senator murray

no way don't pass

senator baldwin center murphy

i by bert

senator kain

aye

senator hasson

aye

senator hickenlooper

aye

senator markey senator kim

aye

senator blount rochester senator Alcer brooks

i by bert rochester

chairman cassidy

no

have seventeen eyes six nays

the eyes have it the nomination is agreed to and is favorably reported to the senate um thank you

you're welcome

the committee stands adjourned you The Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee will please come to order. Dr. Schwartz, Mister Kaufman, thank you both for appearing before the committee and for your willingness to serve. Uh, a lot of this conversation for me is gonna revolve around vaccines. Why? Vaccines should be settled, should be settled. Uh, but right now there's a lot of flurry of misinformation when it comes to immunizations. Uh, so that matters a lot to me. When I attended LSU, I drove a professor to work every day. quadriplegic from polio, if he had, if he had the polio vaccine have been available, uh, doctor Keister would have lived a life ambulatory like everyone else. But as it was, his whole life was every night sleeping with something to help him breathe. Um, a routine inexpensive vaccine which was not available, had it been available, would have altered his life wonderfully. I've told the story before of an eighteen year old patient I had as a physician, with acute hepatitis B, eighteen years old, having to send her off for a liver transplant, when a fifty dollar vaccine would have prevented that. There is misinformation all over the place, including that hepatitis B vaccine can cause autism and things like that. It is absurd and it's undermining trust, and if part of what we're trying to do is re-establish trust in public health, you have to wonder why people would spread that misinformation. Um. So, why don't we have trust? Well, they didn't trust it under President Biden, they don't trust it under President Trump, they don't don't trust it under Secretary Kennedy. So I can't say we can point a finger at any one thing, but I will say the agencies you seek to lead are integral to the United States public health and medical preparedness and response capabilities. To do your jobs, you will need buy-in from the American people. According to a recent study, the percentage of US adults reporting high confidence in the centers for disease control and prevention fell from eighty-two percent in february twenty twenty to fifty-six percent in june twenty twenty two along with decreasing trust in other us health institutions mister kaufman and doctor schwartz you're both smart you're experienced you will have the opportunity and the responsibility if you get the jobs to rebuild public trust the us needs to be ready for the next emergency the ebola outbreak in africa is spreading far more widely than people thought it would and they're not quite sure how it is um uh my staff here wrote cyclosporiosis but i think it's crypto um sporidiosis which is causing outbreaks throughout the country i don't know who's right but it's something that starts with a c and ends with an sis and and if you get it uh tie yourself to a toilet for the next you know uh whatever Uh, but that is a public health issue which is obviously impacting us. We need smarter strategies and we need better investment with the limited resources we have, whether it's CDC, BARTA, the Strategic National Stockpile, or ASPRA's industrial-based programs. Uh, again, how do we get to where public trust is broken down? Clearly, mistakes were made during COVID-19. Uh, under the Biden administration, CDC failed to communicate crucial information and allowed outside political groups like teachers' unions to influence whether schools were safe to be open, as opposed to relying on scientific data. ASPRA is less well known to the public, but plays a key logistical role in ensuring that responders have the supplies they need and when they need them. In addition to deploying products and supporting US manufacturing, ASPRA coordinates the federal medical response and supports the development of life-saving tests treatments and vaccines. ASPR played a leading role in Operation Warp Speed, demonstrating what can be accomplished when government works quickly and effectively with the private sector. Importantly, ASPR will work with potentially MRNA vaccines. MRNA vaccines, which some people wish to cast doubts upon for no other reason than, people don't understand them, and so let's cast a doubt upon it. And beyond COVID, misinformation about the safety of routine vaccinations, Creates skepticism, imagine that. Mothers and fathers confused as to whether vaccines are safe to give their children. As a result, we see thousands getting measles. We see, unfortunately, deaths from measles, a vaccine preventable disease, um, um, just lying at the feet of folks in, uh, casting misinformation on these issues. Parents should not have to guess whether information on the CDC's website reflects the best available science, rather than the preferences of political appointees. This is what has led to children being hospitalized and dying from diseases preventable with the vaccine. So, let me be clear. And I say this not as anything but a an analysis of the data. Vaccines are overwhelmingly safe and effective. They they have saved and countless lives. Study after study shows they do not cause autism, whether given at birth or whether given later in life. Hepatitis B is not just transmitted sexually or through drug users, um, and it is, um, and the best way to stop somebody from ending up with costly and expensive liver failure is through a birth dose. As a physician, as I've mentioned, I've had patients die from diseases they would not have died from had they been immunized. Any equivocation of these facts, and I shall not be able to support your immunization, your, your, your nomination. Because when trust is destroyed, it's hard to be effective. I go back to being a doctor. As a physician, you're taught to search for the truth and use the truth for your solutions. It's the only way you make the correct diagnosis and the correct prescription. Doctor, uh, Mister Kaufman, when we met in my office, it was a very pleasant visit. I will say that things have come to light since then in the press that have been sent to me, uh, that you have previously made comments regarding vaccines causing autism, and questioned the necessity of the birth dose of Hepatitis B. uh additionally you have said that you hate the c. d. c. i'm gonna give you a chance to wait you're gonna be involved with aspirin you hate the c. d. c. i mean like what in the heck is going on there um uh turmoil at the top of the nation's top public health agency is not good for the health of the american people and it raises questions about how other public health and medical agencies like aspirin operate we need unbiased leaders who make decisions based upon science, not politics or ideology and are committed to protecting children's health. Some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have expressed regret for not voting to confirm Doctor Monarez to lead the CDC. Today we'll again have a very strong nominee to lead the CDC. I ask you to listen with an open mind and to consider supporting someone who is a highly qualified nominee committed to facts and science. You have confirmed, Doctor Swartz and Mister Kaufman, you will be tasked with bringing stability and restoring public trust in HHS i look forward to hearing how you will accomplish this with that i recognize senator sanders

thank you mr. chairman let me thank doctor erica schwartz who has been nominated to be director of the center for disease control and prevention cdc and sean Kaufman who has been nominated to be the assistant secretary for preparedness and response for being with us today uh mr. chairman let us be clear uh the major reason we are here today on is because secretary kennedy fired doctor susan monaris the first senate uh the first senate confirmed cdc director after less than one month on the job so why did she get fired after being on the job for less than one month what crime did she commit well i don't think it's complicated doctor monaris it turned out refused to act as a rubber stamp for secretary kennedy's very dangerous agenda to limit the use of safe and effective vaccines. Doctor Moneris, to her credit, stood up for science, for public health, and for the scientific method. Frankly, she stood up for protecting the well-being of the American people. And that was the reason that she was fired. And, Mister Chairman, what has taken place since, uh, that firing? Last year, the United States had the worst measles outbreak in over thirty years. with nearly twenty three hundred cases reported we are on track to surpass that number this year in april there was a global global outbreak of hand the virus linked to a cruise ship thirteen people got sick and three people died now an ebola outbreak is spreading in the democratic republic of the congo and uganda with over nineteen hundred cases and over seven hundred deaths reported it's the third largest ebola outbreak ever reported and no treatment or vaccines exist yet for this strain. In the United States, vaccination rates are falling. Let me repeat that. Vaccination rates are falling. Children are now in danger of getting sick and dying from illnesses that vaccines could have prevented. Secretary Kennedy's response to these crises has been to spread misinformation. Fire scientists who disagree with him and wage an unprecedented war on science and vaccines, vaccines that have saved millions of lives. Mr. Chairman, uh, as you well know, our committee received two hundred and fifty pages of emails from officials at the CDC and HHS that have confirmed what many of us have feared. These emails have shown that Secretary Kennedy tried to make it more difficult for working families to get vaccines for their children at no cost, He directed CDC staff to pursue the bogus link that vaccines cause autism, a link that has been thoroughly debunked by the scientific and medical community. He has spread misinformation about the largest measles outbreak in the US in over thirty years. And Secretary Kennedy stopped a flu vaccination campaign during a flu season that had killed sixteen thousand people. Um, Mister Chairman, Bottom line here is we need people in HHS who have the courage to stand up for science, to protect our kids, to protect the health and well-being of the American people, and to stand up to a secretary who is moving this country in a very dangerous direction. Thank you.

We should now proceed with opening statements. Dr. Schwartz.

Maybe so.

Hmm? Go.

ranking member and distinguished sorry

i'm sorry i'm supposed to read your bio imagine that you know what i'm saying my bad

ok

uh um We're joined today by Dr. Erika Swartz, nominee to be the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the CDC. She is a board she is board certified in occupational medicine. She served as a Navy occupational medicine physician before joining the Public Health Service Commission Corps to serve the Coast Guard in two thousand five. She served as the deputy surgeon general from January, twenty nineteen to April, twenty twenty one. She earned a BS in biomedical engineering and her MD from Brown University, an MPH from the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, and a JD from the University of Maryland. Thank you for being here and thank you for your dedication to public health and military service.

Uh, thank you, Chairman. Chairman, ranking members, distinguished members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. It is truly an honor to be nominated for the role of Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. I'd also like to thank President Trump and Secretary Kennedy for the trust they placed in me with this nomination. I am deeply honored by the opportunity to continue serving our nation. I would also like to recognize my husband, whose unwavering support has made a lifetime of service possible. The most important thing to know about me is that I come from a God-fearing military family. My father and my older sister were in the Navy. My older brother was in the Marines, and my younger brother was in the Army. And I had the privilege of serving both in the Navy and with the Coast Guard. For my family, service was not a job. It was a calling, it was a responsibility, and it was an act of faith. My academic career included a biomedical engineering degree and a medical doctorate from Brown University, a master of public health in in epidemiology, and a law degree. After medical school, I served as a Navy occupational medicine physician and clinical epidemiologist, focused on protecting service members from hazardous exposures while learning public health from a mission-first operational perspective. I later transferred to the United States Public Health Service and was detailed to the Coast Guard where I focused on forced health protection for responders to major national and global crises including hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the twenty ten Haiti earthquake, the Deep Water Horizon oil spill disaster, and the West Africa Ebola outbreak. In each of these moments, The men and women of the Coast Guard counted on me to get it right. There was no margin for error. I eventually served as the Coast Guard's Chief Medical Officer, a at the st- at the rank of Two Star Admiral, where I was responsible for the Coast Guard's health care system, their safety system, and their work life program. I was later asked to serve as the United States Deputy Surgeon General. During my tenure, our nation faced one of the greatest public health threats in modern history, the COVID-19 pandemic. One of my core responsibilities was ensuring access to diagnostic testing without overwhelming the healthcare system. My team and I rapidly designed and operationalized a scalable public-private solution. We established drive-through testing sites in every state, in Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, testing nearly eleven point five million individuals. Public health is in my DNA. I'm here because I want to continue serving our nation and because I believe deeply in the mission of the CDC. If confirmed, my first priority will be restoring trust in public health institutions through radical transparency and unwavering scientific integrity. As CDC Director, my sacred responsibility is to provide the American people with public health guidance that is clear, honest, and evidence-based. I will never betray the science. Second, we must modernize the CDC into a near real-time public health enterprise, capable of detecting threats early and responding faster. Twenty first century threats require twenty first century systems. Third, we must empower states, tribes, local communities and territorial partners as the operational backbone of American public health. Public health works best closest to the people. The CDC should provide tools, embedded expertise, operational support, and funding flexibility, not rigid top-down control. The CDC is home to an extraordinarily talented and dedicated workforce. If confirmed, I would support them, empower them, and ensure they have the tools and leadership necessary to succeed. At a time when trust in institutions has been challenged, we have an opportunity to restore confidence, strengthen scientific integrity, modernize our systems, and refocus on the CDC's core mission, protecting the health and safety of the American people. I am committed to working with this committee, with public health leaders across America, with communities across our nation, to ensure the CDC fulfills its mission with excellence, integrity, transparency, and accountability. Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to your questions.

Thank you, Doctor Schwartz. Uh, next. We are joined by Mister Sean Coffman, nominated to be the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, or ASPER. Mister Coffman earned his Bachelor of Science and Master of Public Health degrees from San Diego State University with a focus on health promotion and behavioral science. He has thirty years of public health experience with a focus on infectious disease preparedness,

Thank you, Chairman Cassidy. Ranking members Sanders and members of the Senate Help Committee, Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today as you consider my nomination to serve as Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the Department of Health and Human Services. I am deeply honored by this nomination and grateful to President Trump, Secretary Kennedy, for their confidence and trust. Most importantly, I thank God and my family. I'm especially grateful to my wife Jacqueline, my daughter Jamie Lynn, and my brother Kevin, who are with us today. i also wanna recognize my father a retired united states marine corps officer my brother a retired fbi special uh special agent and my son adan who currently serves as united states army aviator flying black hawk helicopters along with my son sean patrick my family has dedicated their lives to serving this nation in different ways their sacrifices and those of my mother have been greater than anyone should ever have to bear in support of my career in public service Their love, encouragement and unwavering support have made this moment possible. I am forever grateful. I am equally thankful for my mentors, my colleagues and friends who have shaped my career. I also wanna recognize the extraordinary men and women who protect America's health every day, some of which are engaged in Ebola with Ebola overseas. From ASPER, CDC, all of Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of State, to health care systems, laboratories, emergency responders, and organizations like Samaritan's Purse, these professionals stand between crisis and recovery. Today, as Americans continue supporting response to Ebola overseas, they remind us that preparedness is never theoretical. It's lived every day through service and sacrifice. For more than thirty years, I have dedicated my career to protecting people from biological threats. My work began during the HIV AIDS pandemic and has included responses to the september eleventh attack the two thousand one anthrax attacks sars h one n one ebola and covid-nineteen i led preparedness efforts for the emory university ebola treatment unit which cared for the first ebola patients treated in the united states and deployed to liberia and nigeria through the west africa ebola epidemic in two thousand fourteen throughout my career i have worked to strengthen preparedness before disasters occur and improve responses when they do. I have seen first hand the lifesaving impact of vaccines. Let me be clear. Vaccines save lives. They are safe and effective and remain one of the most important tools in public health for preventing infectious diseases and protecting the American people. The threats facing our nation continue to evolve We must remain prepared for emerging infectious diseases, deliberate biological threats, and increasingly complex challenges driven by advances in biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and rapidly changing technologies. At the same time, chemical, radiological, nuclear, cyber, and natural disasters are all hazards that require an integrated approach that is faster, more agile, and more resilient than ever before. ASPR exists for one reason, to save lives. There is no greater responsibility in public service, and if confirmed, I will devote myself fully to that mission. My priorities will be straightforward. First, I hope to strengthen and reauthorize Papa, with all of us together, to keep pace with today's threats while improving coordination and accountability across the government. second i want to accelerate the development of medical countermeasures which includes vaccines therapeutics diagnostics and other lifesaving capabilities so america is never caught unprepared third i want to invest in the people who make preparedness possible our healthcare workers emergency responders laboratorians public health professionals and scientists assuring they are trained equipped and supported for the challenges ahead Fourth, I'd like to modernize how we develop, manufacture, stockpile, and deliver critical medical resources so they reach Americans quickly when every minute matters. And finally, I want to strengthen partnerships across the federal government with our state, local, tribal, and territorial partners while working closely with health care systems, industry, academia, and non-profit communities. Preparedness is a shared responsibility, and our success depends on working together before a crisis, not simply reacting after one begins. Throughout my career, I have learned one enduring lesson. Preparedness is not measured by what we are doing during a disaster. It is measured by what we do before one arrives and how we commit ourselves to those who have survived. If confirmed, I will lead with integrity, urgency, humility, and accountability. i will work everyday to insure that when the next emergency comes, and history tells us it will, the american people have confidence that their government is prepared, to respond quickly, effectively, compassionately, and in a manner worthy of trust. Thank you, and i look forward to your questions.

Um, dr. schwartz. Your predecessor was let go because she would not make decisions that she felt which she was instructed to make, that she felt were going to be bad for public health. Uh, she did not have the ability to demote or reassign people, uh, and she objected to decisions and because of that, according to her, was brought in and browbeaten, and eventually let go. What commitment, one, will you commit to this committee and to the American people to have the same integrity as she, that if it asks to do something which is wrong for public health, that you will stand up as she did, object, if necessary, publicly.

Chairman, thank you for the question and thank you for meeting with me earlier. The one thing that I can tell you is how I lead and how I live, and I have lived and I have led by my integrity. I have spent over twenty-five years in the uniformed services, leading by integrity. That is what I can commit to you and to the committee. that I will continue to live and lead by my integrity. You are a physician, I'm a physician. We both took the Hippocratic oath. For me, the Hippocratic oath meant that I would never harm my patients. Their health and well-being took primacy. If I'm confirmed as a CDC director, the nation's health and well-being will take primacy, and I will never compromise on that.

Now, we know that the secretary has put people at the CDC who are there basically to look for evidence. However, they can find it in phishing expeditions. uh expeditions of how vaccines may cause problems uh they can't find it but they keep on doing it now do you have the will you have you been told that you will have the ability to reassign people who are being counter-productive in terms of promoting trust in public health measures which have been shown time and time again to be safe

chairman i am sitting here because the president nominated me and the secretary and i have had conversations and those conversations were about my background the fact that i spent twenty five years

let me interrupt i have limited time this is almost a yes and no uh will you have the ability to reassign demote get rid of people who are harmful to our public health venture based upon the scientific knowledge that is generally known because um uh the unwavering scientific integrity as you say uh with evidence-based and free from political uh science, not betraying science, standing on science, the truth, even in difficult moments. Do you have, will you have the ability to do that, uh, with free of political interference?

Chairman, the secretary absolutely will allow me to be the CDC director. That is why I'm sitting here before you. The secretary knows that I

Yes, but that's, and I almost feel like I'm having to go after this question a little bit more firmly than I feel like I should. You can be CDC director and just take orders. We need a CDC director that will actually stand up to crazy, stupid things being said. that undermine faith in immunization. Are you the person, and I'm being very direct here, because obviously I feel like we've got thousands of kids hospitalized because people have promoted that immunization is bad and now kids have died because of it. It is evil to do that. And people persist. You are the bulwark. So I'm asking, will you have the ability and the firmness to stand up to that political meddling, to say, no, that's wrong and this is right?

Chairman, you have my assurances that I will continue to lead by my integrity. I will never compr- compromise on the science. I will always, always have the public's health in mind. I have spent over twenty-five years making sure that my being.

That's not quite the direct answer I'm hoping for. I'm just saying that. And I know you've been through a murder board. One more time. I believe you're a woman of integrity. I accept that. Uh, but will you have the ability To say no to junk science and to say yes to that which has been firmly established and to stick up for what is actually right and true, as opposed to that which is superstition and prejudice.

Chairman, I have always stood up for what is right and what is true, and I believe that I will continue to do that. You have my assurances that I will do that. I will never betray the the science, ever. I will go where the science leads us. I will not have predetermined answers to conclusions, I will make sure that the CDC is focused on scientific rigor, that the CDC is focused on radical transparency as we discussed in your office, and that the CDC, which is the most important thing to regain public trust, is that we lead with humility. There is an arrogance that

So, excuse me, because I'm almost out of time, radical transparency includes if somebody puts people beneath you, or above you, or around you, and will not let you remove them, but they are doing wrong things,

Chairman, I am not obviously there at the CDC, but you have my assurances that if I am confirmed as a CDC director, I will work with the team, the Principal Deputy Director, Sean Slavinski, who's already on the ground, and the Deputy Director, the Chief Medical Officer, Doctor Jennifer Shuford, to have those conversations. And if there's something that comes up that is concerning, you have my assurances that I will answer any questions that this committee has regarding exactly what you just mentioned.

Senator Sanders. Thank you.

Doctor Schwartz, thank you very much for your service over the years. Um, according to the American Medical Association, which represents over two hundred and seventy thousand doctors, quote, "An abundance of evidence from decades of scientific studies shows no link between vaccines and autism." End quote. In fact, there have been more than forty scientific studies in seven countries, involving over five million people, finding that there is no link between vaccines and autism. And yet, today, the CDC has published false information on its website, suggesting that childhood vaccines cause autism. Doctor Schwartz, do you agree? The existing scientific evidence shows vaccines do not cause autism. If confirmed, will you commit to removing information on the CDC website suggesting a link between vaccines and autism?

Senator, we do not know what causes autism. One in thirty-three children have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, and we owe it to the American people to figure out why. The president had has asked secretary Kennedy to find out why it, what is causing the increase in autism.

I I look, I don't have a lot of time, and we all wanna find the cause of autism. The evidence is overwhelming that vaccines do not cause autism. Do you accept that evidence?

I do accept that evidence, Senator.

If confirmed, will you commit to removing information on the CDC website suggesting a link between vaccines and autism.

If confirmed, Senator, you have my commitment that I will look at that exact website. I have not seen that. I will speak with the secretary to understand why that information

But the secretary has put that stuff up there. What I'm asking you is, will you remove information which suggests a link between vaccines and autism?

Senator, I have been in many situations where I I have had to uh, go to my superiors in the military to have conversations, very difficult conversations about things that may not have been, uh, um, con that may have been concerning to the troops or to the military personnel. And I, I will do the same with the secretary. I will go to the secretary if there is something

Sorry to interrupt, sorry, I just have a brief amount of time. Uh, in August of last year, secretary Kennedy's chief of staff's chief of staff sent an email to the previous CDC director demanding that quote, c. d. c. political leadership all have eyes on the decisions for approval, changes before they go into effect make America great." Within days, the c. d. c. director was fired for failing to approve Secretary Kennedy's anti-vaccine agenda. Doctor Schwartz, if confirmed, will you commit will you commit that you will report to Congress if you receive directives from Secretary Kennedy or any other individual in the Trump administration to implement policies that are unscientific and can harm the health and well-being of the american people

senator i do not believe that the president or the secretary would ever do what you just mentioned but he do

really do you think that is the record that he would not do that

senator

is that what you're saying

senator that i do not think that the secretary or the president would ask me to do something like that

ok thank you uh mister goffman In twenty twenty two, you said that quote, you would rather perish end quote, than have any of your three children quote, receive an injection of the COVID vaccine, where the risks soundly outweigh the benefits gained end quote. Is that a in uh is that a true statement?

Yes, it is, Senator.

And yet in twenty twenty one, President Trump called the COVID vaccine quote, one of the greatest achievements of mankind end quote. I don't usually agree with President Trump. And it certainly was a great achievement. So who's right? Were you right or was President Trump right?

Senator, I think we we are both right. If I if I may t- explain that, because I think there have been several things and and Chairman Cassidy alluded to it earlier that have been mischaracterized. My children, thank God, are young and healthy. And right before that post, I had taken them to a Kroger, looked at antibodies, and they were all antibody positive for covid-nineteen. And the risk-benefit equation for my children didn't exist. However, and this is very important, and I wanna mention Trish Lawrence. Trish Lawrence is my, my wife's mom, who recently passed away from PLS. She had a condition, a very serious condition during covid. And I recommended, not only for Trish Lawrence, but her husband, Frank Lawrence, to get the covid-nineteen vaccine because it was very appropriate in that circumstance. I believe one hundred percent that vaccines are safe and effective, and that we should have conversations with our physicians to make a determination on which and what is the best risk-benefit equation for that patient.