Dave Weldon

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Following his retirement from Congress, Weldon continued to engage in public policy, medical advocacy, and nonprofit work, including serving as chairman of the Israel Allies Foundation. He also returned to practicing medicine and took on teaching and advisory roles at Florida Institute of Technology, where he donated his congressional archives.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Early life, education, and career

Weldon was born in Amityville, New York, to Anna and David Weldon. He graduated from Farmingdale High School in 1971. He earned a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1978 and received his Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree from the University at Buffalo in 1981.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="BioGuide">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> After completing his internship and residency in internal medicine, Weldon served as a U.S. Army physician from 1981 to 1987, achieving the rank of Major. He was stationed at several military hospitals.<ref name="BioGuide" />

Following his military service, he entered private practice in internal medicine in Florida’s Space Coast region.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

In the 1994 elections, Weldon decided to run in Florida's 15th congressional district, vacated by Democratic U.S. congressman Jim Bacchus. He was one of seven Republicans to file for the primary. On September 8, he ranked first with 24% of the vote, but failed to reach the 50% threshold to win outright.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In the October 4 run-off election, he defeated Carole Jean Jordan 54–46%.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In the November general election, he defeated Democrat Sue Munsey 54–46%.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 1996, he won re-election to a second term defeating John L. Byron 51–43%.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 1998, he won re-election to a third term with 63% of the vote.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2000, he won re-election to a fourth term with 59% of the vote.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2002, he won re-election to a fifth term with 63% of the vote.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2004, he won re-election to a sixth term with 65% of the vote.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Former presidential candidate Bob Bowman, a Democrat, challenged Weldon in 2006. The incumbent raised significantly more campaign funds than Bowman. By the end of September, Weldon's total was $673,321 versus $21,944 for Bowman.<ref>Larry Wheeler, "GOP leading Space Coast race for cash: Weldon, Feeney report finances", Florida Today, October 18, 2006</ref> Weldon also refused to debate Bowman during the campaign.<ref>Amber Smith, "Incumbent Touts His Achievements" Template:Webarchive, The Ledger, October 31, 2006</ref> In the November election, Weldon received 125,596 votes to Bowman's 97,947.<ref>John McCarthy, "Weldon coasts to an easy win", Florida Today, November 8, 2006</ref> Weldon won re-election to a seventh term with 56% of the vote.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

On January 25, 2008, Weldon announced he would not seek an eighth term and would be returning to his medical practice, with a spokesperson explaining that "[h]e never wanted to be a career politician."<ref>Mary Ann Akers, "Rep. Weldon To Spend More Time With Family, Really", Washington Post, January 25, 2008</ref> He endorsed state senator Bill Posey to succeed him.

Tenure

In 2004, Weldon introduced the Weldon Amendment<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> to an appropriations measure. The amendment prevents healthcare programs receiving federal funding from requiring healthcare entities (including doctors, hospitals, and health insurance plans) to provide, pay for, or refer for abortion services. The amendment has been included in annual appropriations bills since 2005.<ref name=NYTimes11.29.24/><ref name="pmid15626793">Template:Cite journal</ref>

In response to the legal battle over the removal of the feeding tube of Terri Schiavo, Weldon introduced legislation to force review of the case by the federal government. Weldon, who has a medical degree, believed that Schiavo was not in a vegetative state. He supported his belief saying, "She responds to verbal stimuli, she attempts to vocalize, she tracks with her eyes, she emotes, she attempts to kiss her father."<ref>Aimie Parnes, link "Lawmaker races clock in attempt to save Schiavo", Naples News, March 12, 2005</ref>

In December, 2005, Weldon joined with several other congressmen to form the Second Amendments, a rock and country band set to play for United States troops stationed overseas over the holiday season. Weldon plays the bass guitar.<ref>https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051222/ap_en_mu/rockin__congressmen Template:Dead link</ref>

During his tenure in Congress, Weldon promoted the disproven claim that thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative once used in some vaccines, was linked to an increase in autism. In 2007, he introduced legislation aimed at transferring vaccine safety oversight from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to an independent agency within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).<ref name="SI">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=NYTimes11.29.24/><ref name="Messerly 2024">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Baumgaertner 2024">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He cited concerns about the integrity of the federal vaccine safety review process, stating there were conflicts of interest and inadequate research funding as reasons for introducing the bill. Weldon has publicly questioned the safety of specific vaccines, including the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and Gardasil, a vaccine that protects against certain strains of human papillomavirus (HPV).<ref name=NYTimes11.29.24/><ref name="Messerly 2024"/><ref name="Baumgaertner 2024"/>

Weldon was a vocal advocate for medical privacy rights, sponsoring legislation to limit government access to patient health records without consent.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Committee assignments

Caucus memberships

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  • Congressional Aerospace Caucus (Co-founder and chair)
  • Congressional Israel Allies Caucus (Co-founder and chair)

2012 U.S. Senate election

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Weldon decided to run for the U.S. Senate in 2012 in the hope of facing Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson. His opponent in the Republican primary was U.S. representative Connie Mack IV. Weldon ran as a Christian conservative, and trailed Mack in both funding and name recognition. He lost the Republican primary with 20% of the vote, coming in second behind Mack's 59%. Mack went on to lose the general election to Nelson, 42%-55%.

2024 Florida House of Representatives election

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Weldon ran for Florida's 32nd House of Representatives district in 2024 against state senator Debbie Mayfield, losing the primary 35% to 65%.Template:Citation needed

Post-politics

Weldon has a medical practice at Health First Medical Group in Malabar, Florida.Template:Citation needed

In 2017, he became the president of the Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries, a trade group for Christian organizations that offered an alternative to traditional health insurance.<ref name=NYTimes11.29.24/>

CDC director nomination

On November 22, 2024, Donald Trump nominated Weldon as the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who requires Senate confirmation.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> According to The Washington Post, Secretary of Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. proposed Weldon to the position.<ref name=WashPost12.15.24>Template:Cite news</ref> His nomination drew attention for his promotion of the claim of a causal link between vaccines and autism, his critiques of the CDC and federal health officials, his position that abstinence was the most effective way to curb sexually transmitted infections, and the fact that he lacked training or experience in public health, including running an organization as large as the CDC.<ref name=NYTimes11.29.24>Template:Cite news</ref> Anti-vaccine activists and groups celebrated his nomination.<ref name=Guardian12.22.24>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=WashPost12.15.24/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Trump withdrew his nomination in March 2025.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Views

Weldon has promoted the scientifically disproved claim of a causal link between vaccines and autism.<ref name=NYTimes11.29.24/><ref name=Guardian12.22.24/><ref name=WashPost12.15.24/> In 2016, he appeared in the anti-vaccine movie Vaxxed; the conspiracy moviemaker, discredited doctor, and fraudulent anti-vaccine activist Andrew Wakefield touted Weldon as his ideal choice as the CDC director in Trump's first presidency. In a 2019 appearance on a TV show broadcast by the Sinclair Broadcast Group, Weldon falsely claimed "some children can get an autism spectrum disorder from a vaccine". Weldon has called himself a supporter of vaccines and has voiced support of COVID-19 vaccines.<ref name=WashPost12.15.24/>

See also

References

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