Senator Cassidy Defends Kennedy Amid Vaccine Controversy

Washington, D.C. — Senator Bill Cassidy defended Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during a Senate committee hearing on Wednesday. Cassidy, the Republican chairman of the committee, praised Kennedy for upholding commitments made during his confirmation process, including his handling of public trust in vaccines.

“As of now, he’s lived up to his promises, regarding vaccinations,” Cassidy told NBC News ahead of the hearing. This statement comes despite ongoing criticism of Kennedy, a long-time vaccine skeptic, who has faced accusations of spreading misinformation about immunization.

During the hearing, Kennedy sparred with Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who accused him of undermining confidence in the measles vaccine. “You said you would not divert funds for vaccination programs, yet you cancelled $12 billion in grants. This is counterproductive to what you promised,” Murphy stated.

In his defense, Kennedy responded to Murphy’s critique: “If I advised you to swim in a lake with alligators, wouldn’t you want to know about the danger?” He argued that his focus is on transparency regarding vaccine safety and efficacy.

Subsequently, Cassidy reiterated the importance of vaccination but made sure to clarify, “Some vaccines have been tested properly and we need to set the record straight regarding Kennedy’s comments on that.” He later added, “Rotavirus, measles, and HPV vaccines have indeed gone through placebo testing in trials. That is a fact.”

The Senate hearing comes in the wake of a measles outbreak in Texas, which has sparked renewed debate surrounding vaccine effectiveness. Kennedy has been promoting alternative treatments for measles, including unproven remedies.

As the session concluded, Kennedy confirmed his commitment to addressing vaccine-related concerns while maintaining his positions on health issues, stating, “I will be honest about what we know and what we don’t know about vaccines.” This ongoing struggle highlights the polarized views on health policy under the current administration.

In related news, protests erupted during the hearing, as demonstrators interrupted Kennedy with shouts linking him to historical failures in public health policy. The situation was swiftly managed by Capitol police, who removed protesters from the chamber.