WASHINGTON, D.C. — The White House will not meet an expected Wednesday deadline to nominate a new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Jay Bhattacharya has served as acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since February. His acting CDC director title will expire Thursday under federal law that limits acting director appointments to a defined period.

Andrew Nixon, spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, said the administration is not required to nominate a new CDC director. He said Bhattacharya will continue to oversee the CDC by performing the delegable duties of the CDC director.

Mississippi health director Dr. Daniel Edney is on a short list of candidates for CDC director. Dr. Robert Redfield, who served as CDC director during President Donald Trump's first term, is among potential nominees for the CDC directorship.

David Margolius, Cleveland director of public health and member of the Big Cities Health Coalition, said of a potential candidate, "He was really thoughtful, and it was clear that what drove him was his desire to improve the health of folks in his home state." Margolius added, "We don't need a TV personality. We don't need a social media spokesperson. We need someone who is collaborating and putting the health of the residents of the country first, not their ego."

The CDC has had multiple acting directors since last summer, with Jay Bhattacharya being the most recent. Susan Monarez served as CDC director for 29 days last summer and was the only person to hold that position during President Trump's second term. Susan Monarez testified in congressional testimony that she was fired for refusing to approve vaccine recommendations without scientific backing at the request of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Following Susan Monarez's departure, Dr. Debra Houry, Dr. Daniel Jernigan and Dr. Demetre Daskalakis resigned from their respective leadership roles at the CDC. The positions of principal deputy director and chief medical officer at the CDC are currently unfilled.

Demetre Daskalakis, former head of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said, "Usually, the director comes up with what the main priorities are, and then the entire agency gets shifted to be able to achieve those priorities." Daskalakis added, "But the agency's had no new priorities. It's just sitting there, putting out fires. You have a captainless ship."

In March 2025, the White House withdrew President Trump's first nomination for CDC director, Dr. Dave Weldon, on the night before his confirmation hearing.

Prior to the CDC Leadership Accountability Act of 2023, CDC directors were appointed by presidents without needing Senate confirmation. The CDC Leadership Accountability Act of 2023 was enacted to increase accountability at the agency following missteps during the pandemic. Any nominee for CDC director must be confirmed by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and by the full Senate before the appointment is official.