Special to the American Press

U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, delivered closing remarks during today’s hearing on the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Click here to watch Cassidy’s opening statement and here to watch the full hearing.

You know before I ever entered politics, before I was ever thinking about running for office I practiced medicine for 30 years. I worked in public hospitals in California and Louisiana, specializing in liver disease. Caring for those who otherwise would not have had a specialist. If you will, dedicating my life to saving lives. That is being a doctor. That ethic guides me now.

In my opening statement, I told the story of my patient, an 18 year-old-girl with acute liver failure from Hepatitis B, being air-ambulanced to LSU Shreveport Hospital for a liver transplant. Now let me finish the story.

Her mother wasn’t allowed to fly in the helicopter. So her mother drove the three hours from Baton Rouge to Shreveport. Now when she arrived, they let her visit her daughter before she went back to the [operating room]. And the mom goes in to say a prayer, squeezes the daughter’s hand. The daughter’s eyes open, and she said, “Mama?”. And the daughter began to recover.

Powerful story, powerful story with a happy ending. But as a doctor I saw endings not so happy. I just had a friend text me two children died in a Intensive Care Unit in a Baton Rouge Hospital from vaccine-preventable diseases, this past month. So my concern is that if there is any false note, any undermining of a mama’s trust in vaccines, another person will die from a vaccine-preventable disease.

Now you got a megaphone. Maybe you and Bernie, you know “Bobby and Bernie.” Of everybody in this room, the two of you have the biggest followings, tremendous credibility. And with that influence comes a great responsibility. Now my responsibility is to learn, try to determine if you can be trusted to support the best public health. A worthy movement called MAHA to improve the health of Americans or to undermine it, always asking for more evidence and never accepting the evidence that is there.

I looked at the article from Dr. Mawson and it seems to be—have some issues. I’ll just put that to the side.

And that is why I have been struggling with your nomination.

There are issues we are—man—ultra-processed foods, obesity we are simpatico. We are completely aligned. And as someone who has discussed immunizations with thousands of people, I understand that mothers want reassurance that the vaccine their child is receiving is necessary, safe, and effective. We agree on that point, the two of us, but we have approached it differently. And I think I can say that I have approached it using the preponderance of evidence to reassure; and you have approached using selected evidence to cast doubt.

Now put differently, we are about the same age, does a 70 year old man—71 year old man who has spend decades criticizing vaccines and who is financially vested in finding fault with vaccines – can he change his attitudes and approach now that he’ll have the most important position influencing vaccine policy in the United States.

Will you continue what you have been, or will you overturn a new leaf at age 70? I recognize man if you come out unequivocally, “vaccines are safe, it does not cause autism” that would have an incredible impact. That’s your power. So what’s it going to be? Will it be using the credibility to support—lots of articles—or will it be using credibility to undermine. And I gotta figure that out, for my vote. You have the power to help rebuild —to help public health institutions re-earn the trust of the American people.

Now, let’s be political. I’m a Republican. I represent the amazing state of Louisiana and as a patriotic American, I want President Trump’s policies to succeed in making America and Americans more secure, more prosperous, healthier.

But if there is someone that is not vaccinated because of policies or attitudes you bring to the department and there is another 18-year-old who dies of a vaccine-preventable disease, helicoptered away, God forbid dies, it’ll be blown up in the press. The greatest tragedy will be her death, but I can also tell you an associated tragedy, will— that will cast a shadow over President Trump’s legacy, which I want to be the absolute best legacy it can be.

 So, that’s my dilemma man and you may be hearing from me over the weekend—you may be hearing from me over the weekend.  

I once again thank you for your time.