On August 5, 2026, the Senate voted to confirm Dr. Erica Schwartz as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director by a vote of 51-44, with Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) joining Senate Republicans in support. Dr. Schwartz served in the U.S. Navy from 1997 until 2005, when she transferred from the Navy to the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) Commissioned Corps. She served as Chief of Preventative Medicine from 2005 until 2013 and Chief of Health Services for the U.S. Coast Guard from 2013 to 2015. In 2015, Dr. Schwartz was appointed to the rank of rear admiral in the PHS Commissioned Corps and became the U.S. Coast Guard Chief Medical Officer before being appointed Deputy Surgeon General in January 2019. Dr. Schwartz served in this role until April 2021.
On August 8, 2026, the Senate voted to confirm Todd Blanche as Attorney General by a narrow majority of 50-49. Republican Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) joined Senate Democrats in opposition. Blanche had been leading the Department of Justice (DOJ) in an acting capacity after former Attorney General Pam Bondi left office in April 2026. He began serving within the DOJ as Deputy Attorney General in May 2025 under Bondi, overseeing the agency's day-to-day operations before being elevated to Acting Attorney General.
Impact on General Dentistry: As CDC Director, Dr. Schwartz could elevate oral health as a public health priority by supporting prevention, oral hygiene education, and the integration of oral health into broader chronic disease and public health initiatives. As Attorney General, Blanche could influence DOJ enforcement priorities related to health care fraud, dental provider compliance, and competition in the dental market, including oversight of dental practice consolidation, DSOs, insurers, and suppliers.
