Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) used a Sunday interview to justify his decision to back Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services secretary, even as he acknowledged that Kennedy remains entrenched in his skepticism of vaccines. The Louisiana Republican, who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, told CBS News that Kennedy has not rebuilt public trust in the nation’s health agencies.
“Polling shows that the American people understand that vaccines are important, and for someone to be out there saying that they’re not goes against their experience,” Cassidy said. He pointed to the ongoing measles outbreak, which has sickened thousands of children, as evidence that the public recognizes the value of immunization.
Cassidy insisted the White House has seen data confirming that Americans view vaccines as critical. He argued the administration has shifted away from anti-vaccine messaging in response to the outbreak. But he suggested President Trump may not break with Kennedy, repeatedly noting that the HHS chief “serves at the president’s pleasure.”
The senator told host Margaret Brennan it was “easy to surmise” that Kennedy made promises to secure his vote out of “political expediency.” Cassidy explained that he backed Kennedy because the nominee would have the president’s ear regardless. “The president seems to be fascinated with the Kennedys,” Cassidy said, adding that he faced a choice between Kennedy with guardrails or Kennedy as a White House health czar without them. He chose “the one with the guardrails.”
Cassidy acknowledged that trust has eroded. He cited a “broken agreement” over a CDC webpage linking vaccines and autism—a page that still carries a note saying it remains online due to an agreement with Cassidy’s committee. “Once you lose trust in somebody, you’re not quite sure what to trust going forward,” he said. “It should go away, because the evidence is that that is not the case.”
When asked if Kennedy should remain in his role, Cassidy pointed to the violated commitments. “At this point, the commitments that were made to me have been violated. When commitments are made, trust is destroyed. It’s difficult to have effectiveness,” he said. He declined to speculate on impeachment if Democrats retake Congress.
Cassidy also highlighted broader leadership gaps at HHS, with several acting officials and no confirmed surgeon general or CDC director. He said he was “impressed” by candidates for those roles and expects them to be approved. The HELP committee’s ranking member, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), has called for investigations into Kennedy’s firings of a vaccine advisory panel and his claims about vaccines. Sanders released emails showing Kennedy’s involvement in canceling flu vaccine campaigns, restricting access, and allowing research on the debunked vaccine-autism link.
The episode underscores the deepening divisions within the GOP. Cassidy, who lost a primary to a Trump-backed challenger earlier this year, has clashed with the former president on Iran policy and now faces scrutiny over his role in Kennedy’s confirmation. The Trump-endorsed candidate in Louisiana has made Cassidy’s independence a campaign issue.
