Cassidy Blames Trump Vaccine Policy as Measles Deaths Rise — SkimNews
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- Bill Cassidy blamed the Trump administration's vaccination policies for rising US measles deaths, demanding the government appoint public health officials who base decisions on science rather than political ideology.
- Cassidy confirmed three measles deaths in Pennsylvania with a fourth under review, calling it the US's worst measles outbreak in more than 35 years in a country where the disease had previously been all but eliminated.
- Nicole Saphier, Trump's nominee for surgeon general, told Cassidy she had seen "no reputable evidence" linking vaccines to autism, then added the MMR vaccine is "our greatest tool for combating measles."
- Cassidy called Saphier's initial answer "a bit of an equivocation" and pressed her repeatedly on whether childhood vaccines cause autism.
- The Senate Health Committee is simultaneously weighing three Trump health nominations: Saphier for surgeon general, Chris Klomp for HHS deputy secretary, and Dr. Timothy Westlake to lead SAMHSA.
- HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Trump have drawn criticism for promoting debunked claims linking vaccines to autism, which Cassidy tied to the broader resurgence of vaccine skepticism.
- The US has had no confirmed surgeon general since January 2025, after Trump's two previous picks were blocked in the Senate over qualification concerns.
Why it matters: Cassidy's public break with the administration carries weight because he is a Republican physician chairing the Senate Health Committee — the exact body responsible for confirming Trump's health nominees. His demand for science-based appointments lands as the US confronts its worst measles outbreak in 35 years, with three confirmed deaths in Pennsylvania, while HHS Secretary RFK Jr. faces sustained scrutiny over his promotion of debunked vaccine-autism claims.
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