Committee Chair Struggles to Support Kennedy
[Analysis by David McFarland] Senate Health Education Labor & Pensions Committee chair Bill Cassidy (R-LA) is having trouble reconciling HHS secretary-nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s past positions on vaccine skepticism with his current stance to make America the healthiest country in the world. During his concluding remarks at Kennedy’s second confirmation hearing 1/30, physician Cassidy said he needs convincing that Kennedy will become a great public health advocate and not just “churn” old information about vaccines causing autism in children.
During the hearing, Cassidy appeared frustrated that Kennedy would not agree that there is settled science from at least 16 studies that vaccines are safe and do not cause autism. He got Kennedy to agree to support vaccine safety and apologize for previous statements if convincing data were shown to him, but Cassidy and other committee members questioned why the current data hadn’t already persuaded him. Kennedy’s skepticism got the best of him and he offered to show Cassidy some of the studies that have thrown doubt on vaccine safety, including a new study by Anthony Mawson on vaccinations and neurodevelopmental disorders.
Cassidy said he had looked at the Mawson study and found it troubling. Scientific experts have also criticized the study, accoridng to a review by FDA Webview, and found many problems. It was not published in a recognized peer-reviewed scientific journal, and it was funded by the National Vaccine Information Center (an anti-vaccine advocacy organization). It has also been called “emblematic of how flawed methodology and biased analysis can be used to promote vaccine hesitancy.”
Cassidy told Kennedy that he is struggling with his nomination because of issues like this. “I understand that mothers want reassurance that the vaccine their child is receiving is necessary, safe and effective,” Cassidy said. “We agree on that point, the two of us, but we’ve approached it differently. And I think I can say that I've approached it using the preponderance of evidence to reassure, and you've approached it using selected evidence to cast doubt.”
“So what's it going to be?” Cassidy asked rhetorically. “Will it be using the credibility to support, and there are lots of articles, or will it be using credibility to undermine, and I got to figure that out for my vote.” He told Kennedy that he may hear from him over the weekend.
Earlier in the hearing, Cassidy received a promise from Kennedy that, if confirmed by the Senate, FDA will not de-prioritize or delay review and/or approval of new vaccines, and that vaccine review standards will not change from historical norms. Kennedy also promised to only revise CDC recommendations based on peer review, consensus-based and widely accepted science, and not because of personal beliefs or the beliefs of any single person that he or HHS may identify.
There is no telling how Cassidy’s skepticism today translates into how he will vote on the Senate floor, especially since he is up for reelection next year. Assuming no Democratic vote will be cast to support Kennedy, a total of four Republican “no” votes would sink the nomination and send it back to the Trump administration for a different nominee.