What do anti-vaxxers do? What do abortion opponents have in common? They both now have an ally in David Weldon, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to run the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The physician and former Florida congressman’s resume includes introducing legislation to strip the CDC of its authority to conduct vaccine safety studies and instead give it to an independent agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. Weldon also promoted the baseless theory that vaccines cause autism in children. This was highlighted as a notoriously false claim in the past by Trump’s nomination of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. HHS will not fund any organization that “discriminates” against health care providers, hospitals, or insurance plans that refuse to provide abortion care. This is something the Trump administration has “weaponized” to enact. During his first term, he announced an anti-abortion agenda, according to the National Women’s Law Center. Weldon introduced an amendment to the House in 2004, and it has been passed as part of the HHS spending bill every year since 2005.
While in Congress, Weldon co-sponsored a bill that would prohibit HHS from providing Title X family planning funds to organizations that provide abortions. (Then-Representative Mike Pence sponsored the bill, and Trump enacted the policy when Pence was vice president.) Weldon also supported legislation proposing to study the unproven link between abortion and depression.
Neither Weldon nor Trump hesitated to acknowledge this position. On Weldon’s campaign site for his failed bid for a Florida congressional seat earlier this year, he touts his record on so-called “vaccine safety,” his “100% pro-life voting record,” and the anti-abortion amendments he passed. In Congress. President Trump announced his choice of Weldon to run CDC on November 22, citing Weldon’s work “resolving issues within HHS and CDC,” including “working with CDC to enact a ban on patents on human embryos.” History was mentioned.
“Dave will proudly restore CDC to its true purpose and work to end the chronic disease epidemic and make America healthy again!” Trump wrote.
Anti-vaxxers and abortion opponents are now celebrating the fact that Weldon could potentially control the CDC’s more than $9 billion budget.
“He is one of us!! “Our movement has already gained momentum.” The co-director of Mississippi Parents for Vaccine Rights, an anti-vaccine group, wrote on social media:
“It’s Yuge!” A similar group in Oklahoma made the argument, praising Weldon’s efforts to stop the CDC from conducting vaccine research.
And both anti-abortion site Live Action and right-wing groups daily signal Following Trump’s announcement, we published an article highlighting Weldon’s anti-abortion record. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said: daily signal Weldon “is a proven leader throughout his life and we look forward to working with him.”
Now in the national spotlight, Weldon has appeared to walk back some of his most fervent anti-vaccine beliefs. new york times This week: “I get shots and I believe in vaccinations.” But when it comes to abortion, Weldon seems closer to the status quo. This year, his campaign website says, “I will always vote to protect the unborn and support a culture that celebrates the value of life.”
