The Senate recently confirmed new leaders at the DEA and CDC, two agencies with key roles in regulating controlled substances and safeguarding public health. Terrance Cole was confirmed as DEA administrator on July 22, and Dr. Susan Monarez was confirmed as CDC director on July 29.
Cole has spent more than 30 years in law enforcement. He most recently served as the Virginia Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security and previously worked at the DEA for more than 20 years.
Dr. Monarez had been serving as the CDC’s acting director since January, after serving as the Deputy Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). She holds a PhD in microbiology and immunology and is the first person without a medical degree to lead the CDC since 1953. She is also the first Senate-confirmed CDC director following a statutory change in 2022 that made Senate confirmation a requirement for that position.
The U.S. Surgeon General position is the most visible healthcare position that remains unfilled.
