Republican doctor in US Senate clears way for Kennedy to be top US health official

WASHINGTON - Republican US Senator Bill Cassidy, a doctor who had expressed wariness about Mr Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s anti-vaccine views, cleared the path on Feb 4 for Mr Kennedy to become the top health official in President Donald Trump’s administration.

A Louisiana lawmaker who spent decades working in public health, Dr Cassidy had voiced concern about Mr Kennedy during his confirmation hearings before casting a ballot to advance him out of the Senate’s finance committee, in a 14-13 party-line vote.

“Mr Kennedy and the administration reached out seeking to reassure me regarding their commitment to protecting the public health benefit of vaccination,” Dr Cassidy said.

“My support is built on insurances that this will not have to be a concern, and that he and I can work together to build an agenda to make America healthy again.”

The Senate, which Republicans control by a 53-47 majority, has been moving swiftly to confirm Mr Trump’s Cabinet picks, even those initially seen as controversial.

A separate Senate committee on Feb 4 advanced former Democratic US Representative Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination to serve as the nation’s top spy, despite doubts about her lack of experience and past statements seen as supporting US adversaries.

Three Senate Republicans, Mr Mitch McConnell, Ms Susan Collins and Ms Lisa Murkowski, have expressed concern about Mr Kennedy.

In January, the same trio voted against confirming former Fox News personality Pete Hegseth as defence secretary.

Vice-President J.D. Vance overrode their objections and cast a ballot to break a 50-50 tie, marking just the second time in US history a vice-president needed to take that action to confirm a Cabinet secretary.

The first time was former vice-president Mike Pence’s vote for Education Secretary Betsy DeVos during Mr Trump’s first term.

After facing an intense political pressure campaign – including billionaire Elon Musk’s threats to support primary opponents of any Republican who obstructed Mr Trump’s nominees – Dr Cassidy said he had the necessary reassurances to vote in line with his party.

Speaking on the Senate floor after his “yes” vote, Dr Cassidy said he had made his decision to support Mr Kennedy after speaking to him multiple times over the weekend and even on the morning of Feb 4.

Democrats slammed their Republican colleagues’ move.

“RFK Jr is a danger to public health. Every Republican senator who votes yes will own the consequences,” Senator Elizabeth Warren, who sits on the finance committee, wrote on social media platform X after the vote.

Dr Cassidy was already viewed as skating on political thin ice if he chooses to run for re-election in 2026, given that he was one of seven Republicans who voted to convict Mr Trump in his Senate impeachment trial on charges relating to the Jan 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol by Trump supporters.

Mr Trump ultimately was not convicted thanks to other Republican senators.

For that vote, Dr Cassidy was censured by the Louisiana Republican Party and labelled “disloyal” by Mr Trump.

In 2024’s election, Mr Trump won in Louisiana with more than 60 per cent of the vote. REUTERS