Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., questions Dr. Mehmet Oz, President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, at Oz's confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, March 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
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A few weeks ago, I wrote that Senator Bill Cassidy's support for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s confirmation to head the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services was a case study in political risk and public health leadership. Looking forward, he has a rare second chance to lead and stand up for science and health.
Cassidy entered that confirmation process carrying a unique burden. In February 2021, he was one of only seven Republican senators who voted to convict Donald Trump of inciting the attack on the Capitol the previous month. That vote earned him admiration from some quarters and hostility from others. By the time Kennedy's nomination reached the Senate in January 2025, Cassidy's political standing was precarious within certain portions of the Republican base.
As a physician, Cassidy publicly expressed concerns about Kennedy's long record of vaccine skepticism and public health misinformation. He understood both the scientific and political stakes.
