WASHINGTON — A Trump administration nominee to lead an agency focused on public health disasters had his confirmation vote postponed amid a lack of support just minutes before it was scheduled to take place, after he was lambasted during a confirmation hearing last week for his past anti-vaccine statements.
Sean Kaufman, the nominee for assistant secretary for preparedness and response (ASPR), faced tough questions during last week’s hearing after STAT reported that he made a number of comments questioning the safety of vaccines.
The Senate health committee was supposed to vote on approving his nomination and sending it to the full Senate floor on Thursday morning alongside Erica Schwartz, who is nominated to be director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Schwartz’s vote was also delayed because too few senators were present, and it is set to take place next week.
