Weldon was set to appear before the Senate health committee Thursday.
Topline
The White House withdrew President Donald Trump’s nomination of vaccine skeptic and former Florida congressman Steve Weldon for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Thursday—a position that would have put him at the helm of an agency responsible for shaping vaccine policy alongside another anti-vaccine figure, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.Key Facts
The White House pulled the nomination just before Weldon was set to appear before the Senate health committee, multiple outlets reported.
It’s unclear why the White House removed Weldon from the running, but CBS reported it became clear he did not have enough support among senators to be confirmed, citing an unnamed Trump administration official.
Weldon, a physician who served in the House from 1995-2009, regularly expressed skepticism about the efficacy and safety of vaccines during his time in Congress, including raising concerns about the unfounded theory linking the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine to autism, STAT News reported.
