Cassidy Presses Vaccine-Skeptic Nominee on Autism Claims
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- Bill Cassidy repeatedly pressed nominee Sean Kaufman during his Senate confirmation hearing for Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, at one point asking, 'Why would you repeat those damn lies? Because that destroys trust.'
- Kaufman had posted a now-deleted LinkedIn message — first reported by STAT — that raised vaccine-skeptical claims, including the widely discredited assertion that the hepatitis B birth dose may be linked to autism increases.
- Kaufman defended himself by noting his own children received the hepatitis B birth dose, calling the CDC 'America's treasure,' and attributing the deleted post to poor social media skills and its divisive nature.
- Kaufman told Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) that mRNA vaccines are safe and effective, but later wavered when pressed by multiple senators on whether he supported HHS's decision to defund mRNA vaccine research, saying benefits and risks should be studied first.
- Cassidy called that position 'flabbergasted,' arguing Kaufman was undermining trust in the CDC, the hepatitis B vaccine, and mRNA research, and telling reporters he needed to review the transcript before deciding whether he was convinced.
- The Senate health committee holds a one-vote Republican majority, meaning a single GOP defection could sink Kaufman's nomination — and Cassidy, who previously backed RFK Jr.'s confirmation but has since broken with him over vaccine policy, is the swing vote.
Why it matters: With Republicans holding just a one-vote majority on the Senate health committee, Cassidy's frustration puts Kaufman's confirmation in real jeopardy — and the senator hasn't decided yet. Cassidy backed RFK Jr.'s confirmation but has since broken with him over vaccine policy, making his swing vote the single most consequential one for the HHS pandemic-preparedness agenda.
