HJNO Mar/Apr 2025

28 MAR / APR 2025 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS   Mr. President [referring to the presiding offi- cer of the Senate], I’d like to make a statement regarding my vote in Committee on behalf of Robert F. Kennedy to be the Secretary of HHS. First, I thank everyone who has contacted me over the last few days. Almost all have been re- spectful and seek the best for our country. And I’ve been contacted by text, by phone, by email. And if I did not respond to anyone, it was not to be rude. It’s just I was getting hundreds of mes- sages a day personally and thousands through the office. And I just physically could not. Now Mr. President, believe it or not, of these hundreds of people calling me or contacting me, however they did, many of them disagreed with each other. Diametrically, three dimension- ally, they disagreed. But the unifying factor is that they all desire the best for our country, even though they differ from each other so much. And maybe that kind of frames my feel- ings about this nomination. For context, before entering politics, before ever thinking running for political office, I prac- ticed medicine for 30 years in a public hospital for the uninsured. Caring for those who other- wise would not have been able to afford the access to the care that I provided. After see- ing patients die from vaccine preventable dis- eases, I dedicated much of my time to vaccine research and immunization programs. Person- ally witnessing the safety monitoring, and the effectiveness of immunization. But simply, vac- CASSIDY FLOOR SPEECH IN SUPPORT OF RFK, JR. TO BE HHS SECRETARY, FEB. 4, 2025 cines save lives. This is the context that informed me when considering Robert F. Kennedy Jr as the nomi- nee to be Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. It was a decision I studied exhaustively. I took very seriously. As I said I would, I spoke with Mr. Kennedy not once, but multiple times over the weekend, including this morning. We had in-depth conversations about the medical lit- erature and the science behind the safety of vaccines. He referred me to studies and people. I reviewed them and spoke to those whom he mentioned I should speak to. Now, the most notable opponents of Mr. Ken- nedy were pediatricians on the front lines of our children’s health who regularly have to combat misinformation; combating vaccine skepticism with correct information—correct information that comes from their education, training and experience as physicians. They are aware of the falling vaccine rates and the inevitability of in- creasing hospitalizations and deaths of children from vaccine-preventable diseases. They are aware that children are now contracting diseas- es that they would not have contracted if the children were vaccinated. I heard from others impassioned about the need to address chemicals in our food, and a belief that we are victims of large, impersonal forces maximizing profits while sacrificing our health. There is evidence for that. Although food safety is principally a USDA concern, I strongly agree that this is an issue society must address. Other RFK supporters are concerned regard- ing environmental risk. They fear these risks are being ignored by authorities. Mr. Kennedy’s his- tory of environmental activism motivates their support. I pointed out that the Environmental Protection Agency monitors this, not the De- partment of Health and Human Services but they still feel that he can make a difference. So, as I looked how to resolve this, I returned to where I began. Would it be possible to have Mr. Kennedy collaborate in helping public health agencies re-earn the trust of the Ameri- can people? Regarding vaccines, Mr. Kennedy has been insistent that he just wants good science and to ensure safety. But on this topic, the science is good, the science is credible. Vaccines save lives. They are safe. They do not cause autism. There are multiple studies that show this. They are a crucial part of our nation’s public health response. But as someone who has discussed immuniza- tions with thousands of people, I do recognize that many mothers need reassurance that the vaccine their child is receiving is necessary, ef- fective, and most of all safe. While I am aligned with Mr. Kennedy as re- gards to ultra-processed foods, reforming NIH, taking on chronic disease—once more, it still With the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Feb. 13, public health is at a crossroads — and in Louisiana, it is in the crosshairs. Not only does the state rank at the bottomof nearly every healthmetric, but RFK Jr.’s nomination seems to have emboldened Louisiana’s surgeon general to redefine the role of public health. What was once a straightforward effort to increase vaccine accessibility has now shifted to a model where the decision is left solely to doctor-patient discussions — an approach that, for many low-income Louisianans, means needing to schedule a medical appointment instead of simply getting a vaccine at a community health fair. Earlier this month, speculation ran high as all eyes turned to Louisiana’s senior senator, Bill Cassidy, MD, to see if he would vote his conscience regarding RFK Jr.’s nomination — just as he had when he voted to convict former President Trump after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. The question was whether Cassidy would stand firm as a physician who had long championed vaccines or whether he would yield to political pressure. In the end, he chose the latter. Following the vote, Cassidy took to the Senate floor to explain his decision, acknowledging the intense debate surrounding Kennedy’s nomination. While reaffirming his belief that vaccines are safe and effective, Cassidy claimed that Kennedy had personally assured him he would not alter existing vaccine safety monitoring systems or remove the CDC’s public statements affirming vac- cine safety. Cassidy also cited Kennedy’s commitments to work closely with him and Congress, stating he would have direct input into HHS hiring decisions and ongoing policy oversight. De- spite Kennedy’s long history of vaccine skepticism, Cassidy justified his vote by arguing that the new secretary’s leadership could restore trust in public health institutions — while asserting that he would personally push back against any moves that undermine vaccine access or safety. He also made it clear that vaccines do not cause autism, reinforcing a long-held scientific consensus.