Senate

Cassidy hammers RFK Jr. on abortion drugs, vaccine-preventable deaths

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by Joseph Choi - 04/22/26 3:27 PM ET

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by Joseph Choi - 04/22/26 3:27 PM ET

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Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, pressed Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on how he plans to act on abortion pills and the ongoing measles outbreak in the U.S. during his final congressional hearing this week.

Referring to the former requirement that abortion pills must be provided in-person, which was lifted during the Biden administration, Cassidy asked Kennedy on Wednesday, “Why has the department not acted with greater urgency on reinstating the in-person dispensing requirement?”

“Chairman Cassidy, I appreciate your comments. I, unfortunately, will not be able to talk about that,” Kennedy responded, which Cassidy called “frustrating.”

Cassidy then moved on to the recent nomination of Erica Schwartz to be the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a move that he applauded. Schwartz has previously gone on the record as supporting vaccinations.

The Louisiana senator, a physician and strong proponent of vaccines, asked whether the next CDC director would be able to make decisions independently of political appointees who oppose vaccinations and also reassign them. While Kennedy pushed back on Cassidy’s characterization of political appointees within his department, he affirmed that the next CDC director would have those abilities.

The last CDC director, Susan Monarez, claimed that she was terminated for refusing to blindly rubber stamp vaccine policy changes recommended by the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel that was rebuilt with Kennedy’s ideological allies.

Cassidy said these issues were “pertinent” due to the upcoming FIFA World Cup and the U.S.’s 250th anniversary during which many tourists are expected to arrive from abroad.

“Tourists from all over the world will come to the United States. Unfortunately, some of them will bring vaccine-preventable diseases like measles and unfortunately our measles immunization rates have fallen,” said Cassidy, asking Kennedy what HHS is doing to help prevent potential outbreaks arising from this increased travel.

Kennedy gave a defense of the U.S.’s record on measles before Cassidy pressed him for an answer to his question on preventive measures.

“I can tell you we are now — we are laser-focused on that. We have booths, testing booths and institutions all over the games,” Kennedy said.

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