HealthJuly 16, 2026

A CDC Confirmation: What Dr. Erica Schwartz Told Senators

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② Start Lesson

Key Vocabulary

nominee/ˌnɒmɪˈniː/

a person chosen for a job or position

"She is the nominee for the job."

hearing/ˈhɪərɪŋ/

a formal meeting where people give information or answers

"The hearing will start at ten."

transparency/trænsˈpærənsi/

the quality of being open and clear about actions and decisions

"The agency promised more transparency."

Listening

A CDC Confirmation: What Dr. Erica Schwartz Told Senators

Dr. Erica Schwartz is President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She was nominated on April 16, 2026 and she appeared before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee for a confirmation hearing on July 15, 2026.

At the hearing she said, "I will never betray the science," and she promised to use radical transparency to rebuild public trust. She also said she did not believe Robert F. Kennedy Jr. or President Trump would ask her to do anything that would hurt public health. Some senators asked direct questions and showed surprise at her answers.

103 words

Quiz

1. Who is the nominee?

2. When did the confirmation hearing take place?

3. What did she say she will never do?

Reading Practice

Read the article from the Listening section aloud. Your AI teacher will give you pronunciation feedback.

Discussion

Do you trust public health officials in your country? Why or why not?

Have you ever changed your mind because of new scientific information? What happened?

What do you think when you hear the phrase 'radical transparency'?