Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), one of the four medical doctors serving in the Senate, is planning to sit down with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday to delve into the health secretary nominee’s opposition to vaccines, according to sources from the Daily Beast.
Cassidy holds significant influence in determining the outcome regarding President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for the head of the Department of Health and Human Services. He presides over the primary Senate Health committee and is also a member of the influential Senate Finance Committee, which will decide if Kennedy’s nomination will reach the Senate floor.
On Sunday, Cassidy shared his concerns publicly regarding RFK Jr.‘s more contentious remarks and beliefs. “I find some of his views agreeable while others I cannot support,” Cassidy stated during his appearance on Fox News Sunday. “Regarding food safety, ultra-processed foods pose a significant problem.”
A source informed the Daily Beast on Monday that Cassidy, who currently heads the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, is eager to have a private discussion with Kennedy before the full committee hearing takes place.
The senator’s primary worry, as per the source, revolves around Kennedy’s conspiratorial nature and his anti-vaccine stance, which has drawn considerable criticism and denial from the medical establishment.
“His views on vaccinations are incorrect, and I anticipate having a productive conversation about that,” Cassidy remarked during his interview on Fox News.
Legislators from both parties have deemed Kennedy’s skepticism towards vaccines and his peculiar conduct—including accusations of whale decapitation, the disposal of a deceased bear in Central Park, claiming he has a brain worm, and other conspiracy tales—as “concerning.”
The HELP Committee, which Cassidy chairs, is expected to conduct a “courtesy” hearing to assess Kennedy’s nomination, although the date has not yet been determined. Meanwhile, the Senate Finance Committee will host a session to evaluate whether to advance Kennedy’s nomination for a vote in the chamber, which is likely to take place later this month—provided Kennedy, who has faced rejection from some family members, progresses that far. (Kennedy has espoused conspiracy theories involving the assassination of his uncle, the late President John F. Kennedy.)
Kennedy stands as one of Trump’s more controversial appointments. However, Republicans aligned with Trump express optimism about his prospects, particularly since a few Democrats—notably Senators Bernie Sanders and John Fetterman—have indicated they might support Kennedy.
