What the Health? From KFF Health News A New CDC Nominee, Again
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Apr 17, 2026 
Michelle Canero, Miami immigration attorney and board member of Immigrants List, explains how immigration policy shapes the U.S. medical workforce. Joanne Kenen, senior fellow and policy journalist, brings public health and government context. Anna Edney, Bloomberg health reporter, analyzes federal health policy and drug market trends. They discuss the new CDC nominee, leadership shifts, Kennedy’s Hill appearances, immigration impacts on staffing, and key health stories to watch.
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Mainstream Pick For CDC Signals Calm After Turmoil
- Dr Erica Schwartz is a vaccine-supporting former deputy surgeon general nominated to be CDC director, signaling the administration chose a confirmable, mainstream pick.
- Panelists said her credentials, reputation, and identity as a Black woman prompted an audible sigh of relief among public health leaders concerned about CDC leadership turmoil.
Kennedy's Hill Testimony Showed Softening But Limits
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Hill appearances focused less on vaccines and more on a wide mix of issues, from Medicaid fraud to peptides and measles outbreaks.
- His answers showed a softening on vaccines (saying measles vaccine is safer than measles) but he stood by removing the hepatitis B birth-dose recommendation.
Budget Proposal Likely Dead On Arrival But Spending Gaps Matter
- The administration's budget request drew little new clarity and is widely seen as unlikely to pass Congress intact.
- Panelists noted a recurring pattern: the president proposes deep cuts while Congress often restores funding, but the administration sometimes fails to spend even restored dollars.