In November 2024, Donald Trump nominated Weldon as the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who requires Senate confirmation.
[14] On January 25, 2008, claiming "He never wanted to be a career politician", Weldon announced he would not seek an eighth term and would be returning to his medical practice.
[18][19] 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.
"[20] 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.
[21] 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).
[17][18][22][23] 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.
[18][22][23] Weldon was a vocal advocate for medical privacy rights, sponsoring legislation to limit government access to patient health records without consent.
[24] Weldon decided to run for the U.S. Senate in 2012 in the hope of facing Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson.
Weldon ran for Florida's 32nd House of Representatives district in 2024 against state senator Debbie Mayfield, losing the primary 35% to 65%.
[18] In November 2024, Donald Trump nominated Weldon as the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who requires Senate confirmation.
[26] According to The Washington Post, Secretary of Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. proposed Weldon to the position.