Dr. Erica Schwartz testified before a Senate committee Wednesday in her confirmation hearing to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with lawmakers focusing heavily on whether she would preserve the agency's independence from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has repeatedly questioned vaccine safety and efficacy.

Senators pressed Schwartz on her personal views on vaccines and asked whether she would be willing to contradict Kennedy if scientific evidence warranted it. The line of questioning reflected ongoing congressional concern about the direction of federal public health agencies under the current administration, which has installed several officials skeptical of mainstream vaccine guidance.

Schwartz, an emergency medicine physician, sought to reassure lawmakers that she would follow the evidence in setting CDC guidance, though her responses on the degree to which she would publicly diverge from Kennedy drew scrutiny. The hearing also included testimony from a nominee for the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response position.

The confirmation hearing comes as the CDC has faced a period of significant institutional turbulence, including staff reductions and shifts in public messaging. Public health advocates and some lawmakers have raised concerns that the agency's credibility on vaccine recommendations could be undermined if its leadership is perceived as politically influenced.

The Senate committee did not hold an immediate vote following the hearing. Schwartz's confirmation prospects will depend in part on whether members are satisfied that she demonstrated sufficient commitment to evidence-based public health practice independent of political pressure from within the administration.