White House withdraws CDC director nominee
The White House has withdrawn its nominee to run the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in an abrupt move just hours before his confirmation hearing was scheduled to begin.
Trump officials informed the Senate on Thursday morning that Dave Weldon, a former Florida congressman, will no longer be its pick for the agency, according to two people familiar with the matter and granted anonymity to discuss it.
The White House made the decision after determining that he did not have the support to win confirmation on the Senate floor, one of the people said.
"He had the votes to get out of committee, [but] he didn't have the votes to get out of the full Senate," the person said, calling it a "dead man walking situation."
Axios first reported the White House's decision.
Weldon had faced growing scrutiny over his anti-vaccine views, including an extensive record during his time in Congress of raising questions about the safety of vaccines and their potential links to autism.
That history had prompted concerns within the Senate and others close to the process for weeks, fueling constant rumors that his nomination would eventually need to be pulled.
That final call came the morning after the administration held the final prep session for his confirmation hearing, said the second person familiar with the matter, and just an hour before he was due to appear before the Senate HELP Committee.
Weldon is one of the few nominees for major departments or agencies to fail to make it to the floor, amid a first few months in office that has demonstrated President Donald Trump's ability to strong-arm congressional Republicans into confirming his picks.
Senate Republicans narrowly confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as HHS secretary last month despite reservations over his anti-vaccine views, following a concerted effort by White House officials to secure the deciding votes.
-
White House withdraws CDC director nomination
The White House has withdrawn the nomination of Dave Weldon to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee announced it has ...The Hill - 5h -
White House Withdraws Nominee for C.D.C. Director
Dr. Dave Weldon was to have appeared on Thursday in a confirmation hearing before the Senate health committee. He has close ties to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the new health secretary.The New York Times - 5h -
White House withdraws CDC director nomination just before his Senate confirmation hearing
The White House has withdrawn the nomination of former Rep. Dave Weldon, R-Fla., whom President Donald Trump had chosen to serve as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a ...NBC News - 5h -
White House withdraws CDC nominee hours before Senate hearing
Trump officials say Weldon - an ally of RFK Jr - did not have the Senate votes necessary to be confirmed.BBC News - 4h -
White House pulls CDC nominee because they didn’t have the votes: Sources
Minutes before his confirmation hearing, the White House pulled David Weldon's nomination to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.ABC News - 3h -
White House pulling Dave Weldon's nomination to run CDC
A White House official confirmed that the administration is pulling Dave Weldon's nomination to be director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.CBS News - 2h -
White House pulls Trump’s nomination for CDC director hours before confirmation hearing
The White House pulled Weldon's nomination just hours before the former Florida lawmaker was set to appear before the U.S. Senate for confirmation.CNBC - 1h -
Watch live: Trump's CDC nominee Dave Weldon faces confirmation hearing
A Senate panel will consider President Trump's nominee to serve as the director for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), former Rep. Dave Weldon (R-Fla.), at a confirmation hearing on Thursday. ...The Hill - 6h -
Murkowski, Collins expressed concerns prior to White House pulling Weldon nomination
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) and Maine Sen. Susan Collins (R) expressed their concerns over Dave Weldon’s nomination to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) prior to senior ...The Hill - 1h
More from Politico
-
Senate confirms Pulte as top housing regulator, with market's future at stake
Politico - 2h -
Sarah McBride says she lives ‘rent-free’ in Republicans’ heads
Politico - 2h -
House Oversight launches probe into deadly plane crash
Politico - 3h -
Johnson taps Boeing exec Curtis Beaulieu as top tax adviser
Politico - 5h -
Capitol agenda: Senate Dems’ last-minute shutdown gambit
Politico - 8h
More in Politics
-
America is breaking its own maritime law — and China knows it
We have a legal obligation under the Merchant Marine Act to maintain sufficient maritime capacity for national defense and commerce.The Hill - 40m -
Oversight Democrats launch review of crypto reserve 'poised to enrich' Trump
House Oversight Democrats are encouraging President Trump to abandon his plans for a crypto reserve, calling it a strategy to enrich himself at taxpayer expense. The reserve, announced by Trump ...The Hill - 40m -
Putin says he's open to ceasefire, but wants to eliminate 'causes of this crisis'
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he is open to a 30-day ceasefire, as proposed by the U.S., but suggested vague terms for his support, including wanting to eliminate the root “causes of this ...The Hill - 46m -
Live updates: Trump meets with NATO leader; judge blasts effort to fire federal workers
The Senate must pass a short-term funding bill before the government shutdown, while the White House has pulled its nominee for the CDC and President Trump has threatened Europe with more tariffs ...The Hill - 48m -
Trump to meet NY gov over pipeline, congestion prices
President Trump said he will meet with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) at the White House on Friday to discuss plans for an energy pipeline that would run through the Empire State. “The governor of ...The Hill - 51m