Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) has reiterated his stance on his vote to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, refusing to express regret for the decision. This comes as Cassidy also publicly criticized a recent executive order from former President Donald Trump concerning vaccine policy.
During an interview on CNN's "State of the Union," Cassidy was questioned about his previous statements that he could not foresee Kennedy's future actions when casting his vote. Critics have pointed to Kennedy's long history of spreading vaccine disinformation, spanning over two decades, as a reason Cassidy should have anticipated such issues.
Cassidy, who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, maintained that individuals must "live life living forward" and suggested that current discussions about his vote distract from more pressing public health matters. He emphasized the need to focus on "making America healthy again" and increasing, rather than decreasing, immunization rates.
In addition to defending his past vote, Cassidy also criticized Trump's recent executive order to separate the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine into three distinct shots administered at different doctor visits. Trump asserted that combination shots deliver an unsafe volume of fluid and can lead to autism, a claim not supported by scientific evidence.
Cassidy argued that Trump's policy, despite pushback from major medical organizations, would likely decrease immunization rates and be less convenient and more costly for families. He stated that this policy, alongside another executive order recommending children receive vaccines for 11 diseases instead of the 18 currently recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), should be the focus of public health discussions.
Previously, while appearing on CNBC's "Squawk Box," Cassidy had avoided addressing questions about regretting his vote for RFK Jr. He explained his reasoning at the time by stating that Kennedy had assured him he would not alter the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) schedule. Cassidy suggested that accusing him of not foreseeing untruths was akin to expecting him to predict future stock market movements instead of focusing on vaccine policy.