Susan Monarez, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under the Department of Health and Human Services, testified before the Senate on Wednesday in a long-awaited confirmation hearing. 

The hearing before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions took place against the backdrop of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s efforts to rework the public health establishment in line with his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda. He has drawn scrutiny from senators, particularly for his skepticism of vaccines and his recent decision to remove all the members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which provides vaccine recommendations to the CDC.