Cassidy Says RFK Jr. Broke Vaccine Pledges, Undermining Public Health and CDC’s Autism Message
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Jun 28
Cassidy Says RFK Jr. Broke Vaccine Pledges, Undermining Public Health and CDC’s Autism Message
3 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Jun 28
Summary
Bill Cassidy said Robert F. Kennedy Jr. violated commitments that won the senator’s key confirmation vote, accusing the HHS secretary of spreading vaccine skepticism and failing to rebuild trust in public health.
A CDC autism page became Cassidy’s clearest example: it still says vaccines do not cause autism, but an added note now calls that statement “not an evidence-based claim,” which Cassidy said broke their agreement.
Cassidy said he backed Kennedy to keep him inside Senate-confirmed “guardrails” rather than let Trump install him as a White House health czar without congressional oversight.
The Louisiana Republican still praised Kennedy’s focus on ultra-processed foods, but said anti-vaccine messaging has led to preventable illness and deaths and that the administration has since tried to move away from it.
Cassidy also said Kennedy’s rollback of overseas immunization efforts weakens U.S. soft power in Africa, citing programs such as PEPFAR, which the State Department says has saved 26 million lives.