Cassidy: New CDC Director Schwartz 'Will Do the Right Thing' on Vaccine Order

Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana says he believes the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Erica Schwartz, will support science and stand up to pressure from the White House. Cassidy made those comments Thursday on CNBC's Squawk Box. His remarks came just after Schwartz was officially sworn in as CDC director, following her confirmation by the Senate last week. Her new job comes with an immediate and serious challenge.

On Monday, President Trump signed an executive order calling for big changes to the childhood vaccine schedule. The order would cut the number of recommended vaccines for children from 18 down to 11. It would also break up the measles, mumps, and rubella shot — known as the MMR vaccine — into three separate doctor visits instead of one combined shot.

Cassidy, who is a doctor and chairs the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, sharply criticized the order. He called it 'bad policy on multiple levels' and said it was based on ideology rather than science. He lost his own primary election earlier this year to a candidate backed by Trump.

Cassidy also warned that spreading doubt about vaccines is dangerous. He said that when people lose trust in vaccines, fewer children get vaccinated, and that leads to more illness and death. His comments appeared to be aimed at Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has long questioned the safety of vaccines.

Public health advocates are watching closely to see how Schwartz will respond to Trump's order. She is already the second CDC director Trump has appointed since taking office. The first, Susan Monarez, was fired less than a month into the job. Monarez said she clashed with Kennedy over his efforts to roll back childhood vaccine recommendations.

It is important to understand that vaccine recommendations are normally written by an independent group of medical experts who study the scientific evidence. An executive order from the president does not carry the same power as a law passed by Congress. The federal government also does not require children to get vaccines — that decision belongs to each state. However, the CDC's vaccine schedule strongly influences what states require and which vaccines insurance companies will pay for.

Schwartz served as deputy surgeon general during Trump's first term in office. She was also a top health official in the U.S. Coast Guard. She has publicly supported childhood vaccines in the past, and many health experts saw her as a steady, qualified choice who could bring stability back to the CDC. Cassidy said her background in the Coast Guard showed she has the courage to do what is right.

Still, not everyone is fully convinced. During her confirmation hearing last month, Democratic senators questioned whether Schwartz would really be willing to push back against Kennedy's anti-vaccine positions. Even Cassidy had some doubts. He decided to vote for her only after the CDC's website updated a page about vaccines and autism in a way that addressed his concerns. 'I'm confident that she knows what she is doing and will stand against those who do not,' Cassidy said at the time.