President Donald Trump has withdrawn his nomination of David Weldon to go the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention.
Weldon’s nomination was reportedly pulled after the administration decided he didn’t have sufficient votes to make it by the Senate affirmation course of. Weldon advised The New York Instances he was knowledgeable of the choice on Wednesday evening.
The previous nominee represented Florida within the Home of Representatives from 1995 to 2009. Throughout this tenure, he promoted anti-vaccine conspiracy theories and anti-abortion zealotry. At any time, his debunked views would have raised eyebrows, however they’re of explicit observe now, because the nation handles a significant measles outbreak introduced on by opposition to vaccines.
Weldon proposed a number of items of anti-vaccine laws throughout his time in Congress, together with a invoice purportedly addressing the false hyperlink between vaccines and autism. There is no such thing as a hyperlink between vaccination and autism, however the fringe perception has been a keystone concern promoted by the anti-vaccine group, most notably Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now the secretary of the Division of Well being and Human Companies.
Well being and Human Companies Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Weldon can also be a strident opponent of abortion rights. He superior laws named after himself—the Weldon Modification—that permits well being care suppliers like hospitals to disclaim care to sufferers searching for abortion care. Weldon’s views on this situation would have meshed these endorsed by Trump, who created the Supreme Courtroom majority that overruled Roe v. Wade in 2022 and eradicated the federal proper to abortion.
Weldon joins the ranks of former Rep. Matt Gaetz, whose bid to change into U.S. lawyer basic failed spectacularly, and regulation enforcement officer Chad Chronister, who was pulled from consideration as Trump’s choose to run the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Whereas the exact nature of the opposition to Weldon has not been revealed, the shortage of assist stands out when Senate Republicans had been pleased to rubber-stamp different controversial and unqualified Trump Cupboard picks. Republicans had no qualms about passing alongside Kennedy, Tulsi Gabbard, and even Pete Hegseth and their baggage—however they apparently drew the road at Weldon.
Axios studies that Kennedy voiced considerations about Weldon’s readiness to defend his fringe beliefs in a Senate listening to, which speaks volumes about how out of bounds Weldon will need to have been. Throughout his personal listening to, Kennedy struggled to deal with Democratic questions on his anti-vaccine advocacy and obtained no Democratic votes for affirmation.
However echoing his option to nominate Kennedy, Trump apparently had no situation about placing such an anti-science individual accountable for the important CDC.
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