Outgoing Republican Senator Bill Cassidy has sharply criticized Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., accusing him of running the nation's public health system "upon a foundation of lies" and of breaking promises made to secure his confirmation vote.
In an interview on CBS News' "Face The Nation," Cassidy, who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, stated that building public health on falsehoods leads to inadequate care. "You need to build everything in life on truth," he said. "I go back to being a doctor. You got to search for the truth and use the truth for your solutions."
Cassidy's remarks were prompted by a question about the CDC's website statement "Vaccines do not cause autism," which includes a footnote stating the information remains online due to an agreement with Cassidy. The senator called this "not truth" and warned of consequences, though he acknowledged that few people outside of news anchors read the CDC website, questioning its actual influence.
Cassidy, who recently lost his bid for a third term, also asserted that Kennedy has not restored public trust in health institutions. He suggested that the administration may be limiting Kennedy's scope of action and that public polling indicates Americans understand the importance of vaccines, a sentiment that contrasts with some public statements made by Kennedy.
"I think you can see the administration responding to the American people's awareness that folks should be vaccinated," Cassidy said, suggesting the administration is reacting to public opinion on vaccination.