The White House pulls Trump CDC Director candidate Dave Weldon
The White House pulled President Donald Trump’s candidates to lead the centers for the control and prevention of diseases.
The move came just a few hours before the Republican former legislator of Florida, a vaccine critic, should appear for a hearing for a hearing for a hearing. The committee said the hearing, which was planned for 10 a.m. ET, was canceled.
Axios first reported the decision on Thursday. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who heads the Department of Health and Human Services, said that Weldon was not ready for the role, reported Axios. HHS monitors the CDC and all other federal health agencies.
Weldon said he was enthusiastic about working with Kennedy and serving the country again, the New York Times reported on Thursday.
“It’s a shock, but in a way it is relief,” Weldon told the newspaper. “Government jobs demand many of them, and if God does not want me, I agree.”
He said he planned to “get on a plane at 11 a.m. and I’ll go home and I’ll see patients on Monday,” said the newspaper.
“I will earn a lot more money in my medical practice,” added Weldon.
But Weldon’s views are closely related to Kennedy, a notorious vacceptic. The 71 -year -old Weldon has long questioned the security of certain vaccines and promotes the wrong claim that connects vaccines with autism. In 2006, Weldon performed with parents who claimed that the CDC had covered evidence that vaccines with children who developed autism.
The CDC is supposedly examined the link of this link under Kennedy, although it exposes in research for decades.
During the congress, Weldon sponsored a legislation that would transfer responsibility for the security of the vaccine from the CDC. He claimed that the agency had a conflict of interest because it buys and promotes vaccines. The legislation never made it, committees.
Weldon has been in the congress in the congress for 14 years from 1995 to 2009.
Senator Patty Murray, a democrat from Washington and Help Committee, said she was “deeply disturbed” by Weldon’s false claims about vaccines.
In an explanation on Thursday, Murray said: “Although I have little to no confidence in the Trump government, you should immediately nominate someone for this position who at least believes in the basic science and will help manage the important work of CDC to monitor and prevent fatal outbreaks.”
She added that Kennedy is already “incalculable damage by spreading lies and disinformation as a top health officer in America”.
HHS did not immediately respond to an inquiry to comment on why the administration of Weldon’s nomination and when Trump can choose another person for the post.
