Trump Taps Acting CDC Chief Susan Monarez for Permanent Role -

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March 24, Washington: President Donald Trump announced Monday his intention to nominate Dr. Susan Monarez as permanent director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a position she has held in an acting capacity. The selection comes as the agency grapples with multiple public health crises, including a deadly measles outbreak in the Southwest and growing concerns over avian influenza.

A Seasoned Public Health Leader

With two decades of federal service across Republican and Democratic administrations, Monarez brings extensive government experience to the role. Her background includes:

Deputy director of ARPA-H, the biomedical research funding agency
Key roles at Homeland Security and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
PhD in microbiology and immunology (though notably not a medical doctor)

In his announcement on Truth Social, Trump praised Monarez as “an incredible mother and dedicated public servant” who would restore confidence in an agency he claims has been damaged by “political bias and disastrous mismanagement.”

Challenges Await

If confirmed by the Senate, Monarez would immediately face:

Containing measles outbreaks that have already claimed lives in Texas and New Mexico
Monitoring the spread of bird flu in livestock and humans
Overseeing the CDC’s $17.3 billion budget, which primarily funds state/local health programs

Perhaps most significantly, she would need to navigate vaccine policy at an agency responsible for:

Setting childhood immunization schedules
Funding vaccines for low-income children
Making critical public health recommendations

This comes as her prospective boss, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., maintains longstanding skepticism about vaccine safety – creating potential tension within the administration’s health leadership.

Political Context

The nomination follows the withdrawn candidacy of former Rep. Dave Weldon, an outspoken vaccine critic who lacked Senate support. Monarez appears positioned as a more conventional choice, though her personal views on vaccination remain unclear.

The Republican-controlled Senate has recently confirmed several controversial Trump appointees, suggesting Monarez may face smoother confirmation than some previous nominees. However, Democrats have vowed to scrutinize her preparedness to lead America’s premier public health agency during multiple ongoing crises.