In a significant leadership overhaul, the US Senate has finally confirmed Susan Monarez as the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in a close 51-47 vote.
Monarez, who was already acting director, is the first non-medical physician to head the CDC since 1953 and the first to require Senate confirmation since the legal change in 2023. She is confirmed at a time when the agency is under extreme pressure, still reeling from the laying off of hundreds, canceled public health initiatives, and mounting national threats to health.
Monarez takes over from Dave Weldon, the former nominee withdrawn by the Trump administration following backlash over his contentious vaccine policy. With Republicans supporting her nomination, Monarez is now installed at the Atlanta-based health agency at one of its weakest points in decades. A University of Wisconsin-Madison PhD in microbiology, she’s viewed by some in Washington as a firm, if not particularly vocal, hand in uncertain times.
Since arriving at the CDC in January, Monarez has maintained a relatively low profile. Insider accounts indicate that her visibility was low at staff-wide meetings, and most employees had few direct contacts with her. Daily operations were largely managed by Matthew Buzzelli, the agency’s chief of staff, particularly after Monarez was nominated for the director position. That hasn’t prevented worry from building inside the agency about morale and strategic direction.
At her helm, even prior to confirmation, the CDC has been functioning in the midst of huge reductions and intense political pressure. Thousands of employees, ranging from seasoned epidemiologists to public health communicators, were terminated or quit due to the reforms advocated by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. The reductions have decimated major departments that monitored chronic disease, gun violence statistics, and smoking trends. And now, with recent measles spikes, the worst in more than 30 years, and the first US human death from bird flu, many are questioning whether the CDC is up to the task at hand.
At her confirmation hearing, Monarez sidestepped direct answers about the contentious cutback of numerous public health programs and instead remained steadfastly on-message. She did not promise to reinstate any programs and skipped over resolving staff complaints or outlining upcoming plans to restore trust within the agency.
With all the criticism, Monarez has a lengthy resume history of bipartisan government experience. She was deputy director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health under President Joe Biden but had previously been in a senior role at the Department of Homeland Security during Trump’s first term. That experience probably helped land her confirmation in spite of increasing polarization on Capitol Hill over the future direction of federal health agencies.
Her appointment represents a critical turning point for the CDC, which has struggled since the pandemic to remake its purpose and place in the world. With confidence in the agency shaken and the landscape of public health more daunting than ever, Monarez faces a formidable challenge. She must restore internal morale, battle health crises with diminished resources, and regain the public’s trust that the CDC can keep Americans safe.
As the CDC prepares for its new chapter, everyone will be watching how Susan Monarez decides to lead, and if she can provide stability to an agency that’s been wrung out.
Leo Cruz brings sharp insights into the world of politics, offering balanced reporting and analysis on the latest policies, elections, and global political events. With years of experience covering campaigns and interviewing world leaders, Leo ensures readers are always informed and engaged.
