Sen. Invoice Cassidy (R-La.), the brand new Senate Well being, Training, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee chair, didn’t instantly endorse Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Trump’s decide to be Well being and Human Providers secretary, after assembly with him Wednesday.
Cassidy wrote on the social media website X that he and Kennedy had a “frank conversation” and spoke about vaccines “at length.”
After the assembly, Cassidy briefly advised reporters they spoke about “every permutation of vaccines” however declined to elaborate additional after the almost hourlong assembly.
Kennedy has a protracted historical past of advocating in opposition to vaccines and has promoted the debunked concept that vaccines trigger autism.
Kennedy has mentioned he doesn’t need to take vaccines away from anybody and simply desires to make extra security and efficacy information accessible to the general public.
Kennedy is on Capitol Hill this week for his second spherical of conferences with senators, together with some Democrats on the HELP Committee, which has jurisdiction over HHS.
Cassidy’s feedback had been way more tepid in comparison with among the enthusiastic responses Kennedy obtained from different Senate Republicans final month, together with from staunch conservatives who’re each shut Trump allies and almost certainly to object to Kennedy’s earlier pro-abortion stance.
However after assembly with the previous Democratic presidential candidate, they expressed no reservations.
Kennedy mentioned solely that their assembly was “good.”
Cassidy is certainly one of a number of GOP lawmakers being focused by advocacy teams against Kennedy. If each Democrat opposes him, Kennedy can solely afford to lose three GOP votes.
Except for Cassidy, Kennedy on Wednesday additionally met with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the HELP Committee rating member, and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.).
Sanders and Hassan sit on the Senate Finance Committee. The HELP Committee will maintain a listening to for Kennedy, however the precise affirmation listening to and vote will happen within the Finance Committee.
The listening to is more likely to be scheduled quickly.
Leaving the assembly with Sanders, Kennedy mentioned he “couldn’t say” whether or not Sanders would assist him.
When requested if he and Sanders might work collectively to chop prescription drug costs, Kennedy mentioned, “I think everyone wants to cut prescription drug prices.”
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