Biden declares new CDC head Mandy Cohen, who led COVID restrictions in North Carolina

President Joe Biden introduced on Friday his resolution to nominate Mandy Cohen, who oversaw strict COVID-19 restrictions in North Carolina, as the brand new director of the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention.

“Dr. Cohen is among the nation’s high physicians and well being leaders with expertise main giant and sophisticated organizations and a confirmed observe report defending People’ well being and security,” Biden mentioned.

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Cohen served because the chief working officer and chief of workers of the Facilities for Medicare and Medicaid Providers throughout the Obama administration earlier than changing into the director of the North Carolina Division of Well being and Human Providers, through which she instituted a number of the nation’s strictest COVID-19 lockdown insurance policies.

(Travis Lengthy/The News & Observer through AP, File)

Present CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, who might be leaving her place on the finish of this month, mentioned she “can consider no higher palms through which to depart this company throughout a vital time in its historical past.”

“Her distinctive expertise and achieved tenure in North Carolina — alongside along with her different profession contributions — make her completely suited to guide CDC because it strikes ahead by constructing on the teachings realized from COVID-19 to create a corporation poised to fulfill public well being challenges of the long run,” Walensky mentioned.

Rating member of the Senate Well being, Schooling, Labor, and Pensions Committee, Invoice Cassidy (R-LA), mentioned that a “tradition change” is desperately wanted on the CDC “and Mandy Cohen wants to indicate shortly that she is as much as the duty.”

“It’s not going to occur over Zoom. We'd like a pacesetter, in individual in Atlanta, who understands public well being and is impartial from political pursuits,” Cassidy mentioned.

Earlier this week, the chairman of the HELP Committee, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), threatened to dam all presidential appointments for well being positions till the administration addressed rising prescription drug costs. The director of the CDC, nonetheless, doesn't must be confirmed by the Senate.

“Dr. Cohen has been acknowledged by leaders from each events for her skill [to] discover widespread floor and put advanced coverage into motion,” Biden added. “I look ahead to working with Dr. Cohen as she leads our nation’s best scientists and public well being specialists with integrity and transparency.”