Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
White House withdraws controversial pick to run the CDC
Listen
• 3:36
The nomination of Dr. Dave Weldon, who served in the House of Representatives from 1995 to 2009, to run the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was withdrawn shortly before a Senate confirmation hearing Thursday.
(
Joe Raedle
/
Getty Images
)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will have to wait a little longer for a new leader.
The White House withdrew its nomination of Dr. Dave Weldon, a former Florida congressman, shortly before his scheduled appearance before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Thursday.
A White House official not authorized to speak publicly told NPR that Weldon didn't have the votes needed for confirmation by the Senate.
President Trump announced Weldon as his pick to lead the CDC on Truth Social in November, praising Weldon's experience as a medical doctor, Army veteran, politician and family man.
Support for LAist comes from
In the months since, Weldon's record on vaccines has been scrutinized, including debunked claims about vaccine safety.
Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington who sits on the health committee, said Weldon had made some of those claims in a Feb. 20 meeting with her.
"I was deeply disturbed to hear Dr. Weldon repeat debunked claims about vaccines — it's dangerous to put someone in charge at CDC who believes the lie that our rigorously tested childhood vaccine schedule is somehow exposing kids to toxic levels of mercury or causing autism," she said in a statement released in response to the withdrawal of Weldon's nomination.
Weldon, a Republican, represented a district in central Florida from 1995 to 2009. After his stint in the House of Representatives, he ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 2012 and the Florida House of Representatives in 2024, but has otherwise kept largely out of the public eye.
After his congressional career, Weldon returned to practice as an internal medicine doctor in Florida and recently held leadership positions at Privia Quality Network Central Florida, a company that supports physician practices. He was also board chairman for the pro-Israel advocacy group Israel Allies Foundation, according to forms he submitted to the U.S. Office of Government Ethics.
Copyright 2025 NPR
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The critical findings are part of long-awaited after-action report was released Thursday. It contains recommendations for increasing emergency staffing and updating old systems. -
Diving has changed, mountain biking has been added. Here's where to watch the Olympics in person in 2028. -
'A Great Day in the Stoke' is a free, daylong event in Orange County billed as 'the largest gathering of Black surfers in history.' The fourth annual festival is set for Saturday in Huntington Beach. -
Kimmel returned less than a week after ABC suspended his show over comments he made about the assassination of right wing activist Charlie Kirk. -
Southern California might see some light rain tonight into Wednesday morning. After that, cooler weather is on the way, but expect the humidity to remain. -
A gate tax at Disney? It's a possibility.
Best of LAist