White House pulls nomination of CDC director candidate
Dave Weldon had come under increasing scrutiny for his stance against vaccines.
TroibNews 
The White House has pulled its nomination for the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a surprising move just hours before the scheduled confirmation hearing.
On Thursday morning, officials from the Trump administration notified the Senate that Dave Weldon, a former congressman from Florida, would no longer be the selected candidate for the role, as reported by two individuals familiar with the situation who spoke anonymously.
The decision came after it became clear that Weldon lacked sufficient support for confirmation in the Senate, according to one of the sources.
"He had the votes to get out of committee, [but] he didn't have the votes to get out of the full Senate," the source remarked, labeling the situation as a "dead man walking situation."
Axios was the first to break the news regarding the White House's decision.
Weldon had encountered increasing scrutiny due to his anti-vaccine stance, which included a long history of questioning vaccine safety and alleged connections to autism during his congressional tenure.
This background raised concerns among Senate members and others involved in the nomination process for weeks, leading to ongoing speculation that his nomination could ultimately be withdrawn.
The final decision was made on the morning following the administration’s last preparation session for his confirmation hearing and just an hour before he was set to appear before the Senate HELP Committee, according to the second source.
Weldon represents one of the few nominees for significant departments or agencies who has not reached the Senate floor for a vote during a period in which President Donald Trump has shown the ability to persuade congressional Republicans to confirm his nominees.
In contrast, Senate Republicans recently confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of Health and Human Services despite concerns over his anti-vaccine views, thanks to a concerted effort by White House officials to secure the necessary votes.
Ramin Sohrabi for TROIB News
On Thursday morning, officials from the Trump administration notified the Senate that Dave Weldon, a former congressman from Florida, would no longer be the selected candidate for the role, as reported by two individuals familiar with the situation who spoke anonymously.
The decision came after it became clear that Weldon lacked sufficient support for confirmation in the Senate, according to one of the sources.
"He had the votes to get out of committee, [but] he didn't have the votes to get out of the full Senate," the source remarked, labeling the situation as a "dead man walking situation."
Axios was the first to break the news regarding the White House's decision.
Weldon had encountered increasing scrutiny due to his anti-vaccine stance, which included a long history of questioning vaccine safety and alleged connections to autism during his congressional tenure.
This background raised concerns among Senate members and others involved in the nomination process for weeks, leading to ongoing speculation that his nomination could ultimately be withdrawn.
The final decision was made on the morning following the administration’s last preparation session for his confirmation hearing and just an hour before he was set to appear before the Senate HELP Committee, according to the second source.
Weldon represents one of the few nominees for significant departments or agencies who has not reached the Senate floor for a vote during a period in which President Donald Trump has shown the ability to persuade congressional Republicans to confirm his nominees.
In contrast, Senate Republicans recently confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of Health and Human Services despite concerns over his anti-vaccine views, thanks to a concerted effort by White House officials to secure the necessary votes.
Ramin Sohrabi for TROIB News
