Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has denied accusations from Senator Bill Cassidy that he violated promises made to secure Cassidy's vote for his confirmation. Kennedy stated that he has fulfilled all commitments.
"I went through every promise that I made to them and I’ve kept them all," Kennedy told News Nation. "What he’s saying is not true."
Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, had claimed in an interview with CBS News’ “Face The Nation” that Kennedy broke promises related to the promotion of vaccine effectiveness. Specifically, Cassidy pointed to a statement on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) website concerning vaccines and autism.
The CDC webpage states: “The claim ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism.” The website also notes that this statement remains online due to an agreement between Kennedy and Cassidy. Cassidy contended that this statement should be removed.
"If you build public health upon a foundation of lies, then you’re going to have the absence of adequate public health. You need to build everything in life on truth," Cassidy said.
Cassidy, who voted to advance and confirm Kennedy's nomination despite Kennedy's history of vaccine skepticism, explained his vote by stating he wanted to ensure Kennedy had guardrails in place. Cassidy will leave office in January.
Among the alleged commitments was a promise to work within existing vaccine approval and safety monitoring systems. Cassidy noted that Kennedy had previously fired the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel and replaced them with his own appointees.